A. Purpose: This section establishes standards that supplement the zones standards to further refine the intended building form and physical character.
B. Overview:
1. Massing And Facade Articulation Standards: Facades on a street or civic space shall be designed in compliance with the standards of this section.
2. General Standards:
a. On corner buildings, front and side street facades shall have equal architectural treatment.
b. Ground floor glazing on residential buildings shall be thirty percent (30%) minimum and on shopfronts seventy-five percent (75%) minimum.
c. Stairs must be integrated into the conditioned floor area of the building, as defined in the Iowa City Building Code, and cannot protrude beyond the building footprint. In addition, stairs must be designed in compliance with section 14-2H-8 (Frontage Types).
3. Photos: All photos are illustrative, not regulatory.
C. Tripartite Facade Articulation:
1. Description: Tripartite architecture uses architectural elements to delineate the base, middle and top. The ground floor facade composes the base. The building element and features above or including the uppermost occupied floor, including parapet walls and eaves, compose the top.
2. Applicability: Buildings of at least two (2) stories.
3. Standards/General Character: Requires three (3) distinct sections:
a. Base: The base of a building shall be distinguished from the middle through the use of string courses, cornice expression, or installation of awnings or canopies. (A)
b. Middle: For a building that is two (2) stories or less, a middle section is not required; only a top and a base. (B)
c. Top: For a building that is three (3) or more stories, the top shall be delineated with some form of cornice expression, either with trim material, brackets and panels, eave details, or accentuated masonry. (C)
d. Where the exterior wall material changes along the vertical plane of a building, the materials must be separated by a horizontal band, such as a belt course, soldier course, or band board or other trim appropriate to the building materials being used.
D. Architectural Recession(s):
1. Description: Architectural recessions modulate the apparent size and scale of a building by recessing a portion(s) of the facade as an architectural element(s) or space(s) from the plane(s): a recessed entry from the sidewalk, a loggia or recessed balcony cut into the plane of the facade.
3. Standards/General Character:
Recession Height: | If ground floor is recessed, recession shall extend through the building mass (A) |
Recession Width: | |
Buildings 50' - 100' long Buildings > 100' long | 12' min. (distributed in up to 2 locations) (B) 20' min. (distributed in at least 2 locations) |
Depth: | 16" min. (C) |
E. Corner Element:
1. Description: A corner element gives visual importance to corner and further shape the public realm.
2. Applicabilit y: Optional architectural element for main street building types (14-2H-6N) where the building is over seventy-five feet (75') long.
3. Standards/General Character:
Footprint: | 10' x 10' min. (A) |
Projection from facade | 3' min. (B) |
Top story height | 14' max.1 (C) |
1 Corner element may exceed maximum height allowed by the zone by up to 10' when the height story on the building is at the maximum height allowed by the zone. | |
F. Rooftop Room:
1. Description: A rooftop room is a small enclsoed or unenclosed room on the uppermost roof of house-scale buildings.
2. Applicability: Optional architectural element as allowed by Item 3 (Building Size And Massing) of the building type.
3. Standards/General Character:
a. Standards: | |
Interior clear dimensions | 12' max. (A) |
Floor-to-ceiling height | 10' max. (B) |
Overall height | 14' max. (C) |
Side setback from building edge | 5' min. (D) |
Rear setback from building edge | 15' min. (E) |
Opening or glazing on each side of room | 75% |
b. General Character : | |
(1 ) Materials shall be consistent with the primary building. | |
(2 ) Exterior acess allowed in complian ce with Title 17 Building and Housing Code, and Title 7, the Fire Code, Chapter 7-1 of the Iowa City Code of Ordinances. | |
(3) Roof shall be consistent with roof style of primary building. | |
(4) Openings shall be vertically proportioned or square. | |
(5) Openings may be glazed. | |
(6) Shutters, when present, shall be of sufficient width to cover the adjacent opening. | |
(Ord. 21-4866, 11-16-2021)