(A) Facades and exterior walls, including sides and back facades. The building shall be designed in a way which will reduce the massive scale and uniform and impersonal appearance and will provide visual interest consistent with the community’s identity, character, and scale. Long building walls shall be broken up with projections or recessions. Developments with facade over 100 feet in linear length shall incorporate wall projections or recesses a minimum of three foot depth and a minimum of 20 contiguous feet within each 100 feet of facade length and shall extend over 20% of facade. The building design should include windows, arcades, or awnings along at least 60% of the building length. Architectural treatment, similar to that provided to the front facade, shall be provided to the sides and rear (rear only as needed) of the building to mitigate any negative view from adjacent properties and/or roads. Development shall use animating features such as arcades, display windows, entry areas, or awnings along at least 60% of the facade. Figures 3 and 4 show examples of facade standards.
Figure 3: Example of wall projections and recesses
Figure 4: Example of facade animated features
(Drawings courtesy of City of Fort Collins, Colorado Design Standards and Guidelines for Large Establishments)
(B) Detail features. Provide architectural features that contribute to visual interest at the pedestrian scale and reduce the massive aesthetic effect by breaking up the building wall, front, side, or rear, with color, texture change, wall offsets, reveals, or projecting ribs. Figure 4 shows an expression of architectural or structural bay.
(C) Roofs. The roof design shall provide variations in roof lines to add interest to, and reduce the massive scale of, large buildings. Roof features shall complement the architectural and visual character of the community character/aesthetic. Roof lines shall be varied with a change in height every 100 linear feet in the building length. Parapets, mansard roofs, gable roofs, hip roofs, or dormers shall be used to conceal flat roofs and roof top equipment from public view. Parapet walls shall be architecturally treated to avoid a plain, monotonous look. Figure 5 provides an example of parapet design.
Figure 5: Expression of Architectural or Structural Bay.
Figure 6: Parapet Standards.
(Drawings courtesy of City of Fort Collins, Colorado Design Standards and Guidelines for Large Establishments)
(D) Materials and color. The buildings shall have exterior building materials of brick, stone or other approved material which will blend with the Downtown Community area and/or in keeping with the rural theme of Nelson County, if located outside the Urban area. Colors which are aesthetically pleasing and compatible with materials and colors that are used in the Downtown Community area and/or in keeping with the rural theme of Nelson County. This includes the use of high-quality materials and colors that are low reflective, subtle, neutral, or earth tone. Certain types of colors shall be avoided, e.g., fluorescent or metallic. Construction materials, such as tilt-up concrete, smooth-faced concrete block, vinyl siding, prefabricated steel panels, and other similar material shall be avoided.
(E) Entryways. The building design shall provide design elements which give customers orientation on accessibility and which add aesthetically pleasing character to buildings by providing clearly-defined, highly-visible customer entrances.
(F) Screening of Equipment. Roof- or ground-mounted HVAC or other equipment shall be screened to mitigate noise and views in all directions. If roof mounted, the screen shall be designed to conform architecturally with the design of the building, whether it is with varying roof planes or with parapet walls. A wood fence or similar treatment is not acceptable. Ground-mounted HVAC or other equipment shall be screened. The screen shall be of masonry construction or other approved materials and be of sufficient height to block the view and noise of the equipment.
(Ord.795, passed 1-27-04)