(a) Contextual Design Criteria
To create cohesive and well-crafted building façades with human-scaled details that incorporate textures, colors, and other details that are compatible with and enhance the surrounding area. Façades should include the following elements:
(1) Human-scaled detail, articulation, and craftsmanship.
(2) Quality of construction, craftsmanship, and design to create long lasting buildings.
(3) Expression of a human-scaled façade rhythm and pattern that reflects the building's use.
(4) Fenestration that enhances the architectural character of the building.
(5) Defined building entry that is proportional to the building and number of people served.
(6) Articulation of the building shall break down the scale of the building via building modulation, façade articulation, and variation of fenestration and material patterns.
(b) Application
(1) All façades shall meet all the required design standards and guidelines to ensure the same level of care and integrity throughout the building design.
(2) Façade sidewalls located along a zero-lot line where, at time of approval are not visible from a right-of-way, are exempt.
(3) Façade sidewalls located along a zero-lot line, where at time of approval are visible from a right-of-way, shall continue color, material, and pattern of the main façade.
(c) Objective Design Standards
(1) Base/Middle/Top
(A) Buildings three stories or taller and on lots wider than 50 feet shall be designed to differentiate a defined base or ground floor, a middle or body, and a top, cornice, or parapet cap. Each of these elements shall be distinguished from one another for a minimum of 80% of the façade length through use of three or more of the following four techniques:
(i) Variation in building modulation (minimum of one, if option selected)
a. Horizontal shifts. Changes in floor plates that protrude and/or recess with a minimum dimension of two feet from the primary façade.
b. Upper floor step backs. A horizontal step back of upper-floor façades with a minimum five-foot step back from the primary façade for a minimum of 80% of the length of the façade.
c. Ground floor step back. A horizontal shift of the ground floor façade with a minimum depth of two feet for a minimum 80% of the length of the façade. Ground floor step backs shall not exceed the maximum setback requirements, where stated.
(ii ) Variation in façade articulation (minimum of one, if option selected)
a. Variation in horizontal and/or vertical recesses or projections such as a pattern of recessed grouping of windows, recessed panels, or bay windows. The recess or projection shall be a minimum four inches in depth.
b. Variation in horizontal and/or vertical projections such as shading and weather protection devices, decorative architectural details.
c. Datum lines that continue the length of the building, such as parapets or cornices, with a minimum four inches in height or a minimum two inches in depth and include a change in material;
(iii) Variation in at least two of the following: fenestration size, proportions, pattern, and depth or projection.
(iv) Variation in two of the following: façade material, material size, texture and pattern, or color.
(2) Façade Composition
Building façades shall use a variety of strategies including building modulation, fenestration, and façade articulation to create visual interest and express a variety of scales through a variety of strategies. All façades shall include a minimum of three of the following façade articulation strategies to create visual interest:
(A) Vertical and horizontal recesses such as a pattern of recessed grouping of windows or recessed panels. The recess shall be a minimum four inches in depth.
(B) Vertical and horizontal projections such as shading and weather protection devices or decorative architectural details. Projections shall be a minimum four inches in depth.
(C) Datum lines that continue the length of the building, such as cornices, with a minimum four inches in depth, or a minimum two inches in depth and include a change in material;
(D) Balconies, habitable projections, or Juliet balconies (every 20 to 40 feet) with a minimum four inches in depth;
(E) Screening devices such as lattices, louvers, shading devices, or perforated metal screens;
(F) Use of fine-grained building materials, such as brick or wood shingles, not to exceed eight inches in either height or width; or
(G) Incorporate a minimum of three colors, materials, and/or textures across the whole building.
(3) Compatible Rhythm and Pattern
(A) Buildings shall express a vertical rhythm and pattern that reflects the size and scale of a housing unit and/or individual rooms and spaces. This may be achieved with building modulation to create vertically oriented façades (height greater than the width of the façade), façade articulation and fenestration repetitive vertically oriented patterns. Depending on the length of the façade, the following standards apply:
(i) For continuous façades less than 100 feet in length, the façade shall have vertically oriented patterns of vertical recesses or projections, façade articulation, and/or fenestration.
(ii ) For continuous façades 100 feet or greater in length, the façade shall include either:
a. A vertical recess or change in façade plane with a minimum two feet deep vertical shift modulation for a minimum four feet in width to establish a vertical rhythm or a unit between 20 to 50 feet in width; or
b. A vertical recess or projection with a minimum depth of two feet that establishes the vertical rhythm housing units or individual rooms between 10 to 16 feet in width.
(B) Residential mixed-use buildings shall express a vertical rhythm and pattern by meeting at least one of the following standards:
(i ) Vertical Patterns and Modulation: Façades shall use vertical patterns of building modulation, façade articulation, and fenestration.
(ii) Horizontal Patterns and Modulation: Façades that use horizontal articulation and fenestration patterns shall use a vertical massing strategy with a minimum four feet wide and two feet deep vertical shift in modulation at least once every 50 feet of façade length.
(C) Storefront uses shall express a vertical rhythm not to exceed 30 to 50 feet in width.
(4) Emphasize Building Elements and Massing
(A) Building Entries Within Façade Design
(i) Primary building entries shall be scaled proportionally to the number of people served (amount of floor-area or number of units accessed). Building entries inclusive of doorway and façade plane shall meet the following minimum dimensions:
a. Individual residential entries: five feet in width
b. Shared residential entry, such as mixed-use buildings: eight feet in width
c. Commercial building entry: 20 feet in width
d. Storefront entry: six feet in width
(ii) Primary building entries (not inclusive of individual residential entries) shall include a façade modulation that includes at least one of the following:
a. A recess or projection from the primary façade plane with a minimum depth of two feet.
(B) Primary entries shall include weather protection that is a minimum four feet wide and four feet deep by recessing the entry, providing an awning or using a combination of these methods.
(5) Storefront/Retail Ground Floors
(A) Ground floor height shall be a minimum 14 feet floor-to-floor or shall maintain a 2nd floor datum line of an abutting building.
(B) Transparency shall include a minimum 60% transparent glazing between two and ten feet in height from sidewalk, providing unobstructed views into the commercial space.
(C) Bulkheads and solid base walls: If provided, shall measure between 12 and 30 inches from finished grade.
(D) Primary entries shall include weather protection that is a minimum six feet wide and four feet deep by recessing the entry, providing an awning or using a combination of these methods.
(E) Awnings, canopies and weather protection:
(i) When transom windows are above display windows, awnings, canopies and similar, weather protection elements shall be installed between transom and display windows. These elements should allow for light to enter the storefront through the transom windows and allow the weather protection feature to shade the display window.
(ii) Awnings may be fixed or retractable.
(6) Other Non-residential Ground Floors
(A) Ground floor height shall be a minimum 14 feet floor-to-floor or shall match the 2nd floor datum line of an abutting building.
(B) Transparency shall include a minimum 50% transparent glazing between four and ten feet in height from sidewalk or terrace grade.
(C) Primary entries shall include weather protection that is a minimum six feet wide and four feet deep by recessing the entry, providing an awning or using a combination of these methods.
(7) Parking/Loading/Utilities
(A) Entry Size: No more than 25% of the site frontage facing a street should be devoted to garage openings, carports, surface parking, loading entries, or utilities access (on sites with less than 100 feet of frontage, no more than 25 feet)
(B) Above grade structured parking levels facing a public right-of-way or publicly accessible open space/path, with the exception of vehicular alleys, shall be lined with commercial or habitable uses with a minimum depth of 20 feet.
(C) Partially sub-grade parking shall not have an exposed façade that exceeds five feet in height above abutting grade at back of sidewalk.
(D) Partially sub-grade parking shall be screened with continuous landscaping and shrubbery with minimum height of three feet and be within ten feet of the sub-grade parking.
(Ord. 5553 § 1 (part), 2022)