Free shadow study tool
Drop your proposed building onto a real map and watch the shadows it adds — at any date and time, against the shadows that already exist. Built for developers, architects, and anyone facing a rezoning shadow-study requirement. No sign-up, runs entirely in your browser.
- • Trace a footprint from your own plan PDF
- • Existing buildings & heights from OpenStreetMap
- • New shadow measured separately from existing
- • Vancouver & Burnaby rezoning formats, PDF export
Shadow study FAQ
- What is a shadow study?
- A shadow study (or shadow impact analysis) shows the shadows a proposed building casts at specific dates and times — typically the equinoxes and solstices — and how they differ from the shadows that already exist. Municipalities use them in rezoning and development-permit reviews to assess impacts on streets, parks, patios, and neighbouring homes.
- When does the City of Vancouver require a shadow study?
- Vancouver generally asks for shadow studies for proposals over 11 metres: fall-equinox conditions at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific Time, with full shadow extents and new shadow discernible from existing shadow. Always confirm the current CD-1 rezoning requirements with your planner.
- When does Burnaby require a shadow study?
- Burnaby's rezoning checklist asks for shadow studies for buildings of 20 storeys or more, at the spring and fall equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. Times default to 10, 12, 2 and 4.
- Is this tool a substitute for a certified shadow impact study?
- No. It uses real sun positions (SunCalc) and OpenStreetMap building data, treats the ground as flat, and is intended for early design and feasibility work. For a submission-ready study with accurate context modelling, RealSpace3D produces certified shadow studies alongside renderings and animations.
- What does the free tool export?
- A free annotated image of any view, a shareable link, and a multi-page PDF study in Vancouver, Burnaby, or custom municipal formats with a title block — generated entirely in your browser.
New to the topic? Read our guide: What is a shadow analysis or shadow study in architecture?
Need a submission-ready shadow study?
RealSpace3D produces certified shadow studies, photorealistic renderings, and animations for developments across North America — we have delivered visuals for hundreds of multi-family projects.
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