1. Buildings are required to have architectural interest by achieving the following:
A. Using heavier building materials at the bottom of the building;
B. Demonstrate architectural compatibility through consistent and complementary building style, mass scale, materials, and colors to the neighborhood.
C. Building articulations shall be used to create interest and reduce building scale. This can be achieved through varying heights and setbacks within the same building, offsetting wall planes and adding architectural interest with roof overhangs, awnings, trellises, windows, moldings and other elements.
D. Colors for exterior building finishes shall be earth tones, brick tones, creams, pastels of earth tones, or dark/muted green, blues, and reds.
E. Bright white, black, or primary colors shall be used only as accents, occupying a maximum of ten (10) percent of the building. No more than two (2) accent colors shall be used on a building.
F. The selected material and color palette shall be used on all exposed sides of a building, not just the street facing or entry façade.
G. Preferred primary exterior materials:
(1) Aluminum composite materials
(2) Brick
(3) Cast Stone
(4) Cultured Stone
(5) Precast Concrete Panels
H. Secondary Exterior Materials shall include but not limited to:
(1) Architectural Metals
(2) Copper Flashing
(3) EIFS (exterior insulation finishing system)
(4) Fiber Cement Siding
(5) Structural Composite Sandwich Paneling
(6) Tile
(7) Those materials listed as Primary Materials
I. Secondary Materials shall be used to further define and accent the architectural characteristics of a proposed structure.
J. The City Council may consider an alternative material(s) not specifically listed above if the overall design is determined to provide a unique use of the material(s) which meets the intent of this section in creating appearance of permanency and sustained interest throughout the entirety of the building.
K. Using roof details such as cornices, caps, or parapets at the top of the building; inclined roofs are preferred.
L. Alternating roof styles, heights, and elements; including pitch or hip roofs;
(1) Roof design shall be an integral part of the overall building design. It shall be of a height and proportion so as not to appear as an afterthought or appendage.
(2) Rooftop outdoor living spaces shall be integrated into the building structure. Step backs, parapets and other features shall be used to provide privacy and screening of utilitarian areas and equipment.
(3) Building rooflines make a profile against the sky and the design of this profile helps define community character. Roofline design shall be consistent with existing block or neighborhood patterns where appropriate.
(4) Roof material shall be appropriate to the buildings architecture. Materials with highly reflective surfaces are not allowed.
M. Both horizontal and vertical division shall be incorporated into the building façade.
N. Monotonous, uninterrupted expanses of wall are prohibited. Recesses, projections, columns, openings, ornamentation, materials and colors shall be used to add texture and detail. Blank walls shall not normally exceed twenty (20) feet of lineal frontage along University Avenue or Hickman Road and twenty-five (25) feet along all other streets.
2. Fenestration (door and window openings) shall be sized to the scale of the building and detailed appropriately. Use of repeating window patterns and details are encouraged to unify the design.
3. Entries and windows shall contribute to the volume, mass proportion and texture of the building. They shall be designed as an integral part of the overall building design and shall reflect the building’s architectural style.
4. Materials shall change with the change in building plans; however, all materials shall keep within the chosen theme.
5. New and renovated developments shall exhibit high quality design and construction that will enhance the community.
6. Reflective glass or mirrored glass is prohibited. Clear glass shall be used on storefronts, windows, and doors to promote the linkage of the interior and exterior buildings.
7. Trim and structural elements such as posts or columns shall be sized to the scale of the building and detailed appropriately to the theme. When used, masonry materials shall have the appearance of three-dimensional elements.
8. Colorful landscaping is encouraged to frame doorways or accent windows. Landscaping may be planting beds, sidewalks planters, containers and/or window boxes. Planters, containers and window boxes are encouraged to complement the architectural style and color or the building it is framing.
9. Corporate franchise design where the building functions as a trademark shall be permissible only if it incorporates architectural elements, which are compatible with the overall theme and uniqueness of the development and surrounding development.
10. Outbuildings on commercial lots are also required to use attractive architectural elements as outlined above.
11. In the case of gas stations, canopy supports shall be clad in brick, masonry, wood or other similar material that is compatible with the architecture of the building. Cladding of the supports shall be proportioned to the height and scale of the canopy. All downspouts shall be integrated into the canopy structure. Canopy fascia shall be finished to match the building material and color.
12. All townhome, row, and multi-family dwellings proposed within the same development shall have a unified architectural theme. Sites where four (4) or more buildings are proposed shall provide slight differentiation in design amongst buildings of the same size or number of units to provide for a higher level of architectural design for the site as a whole.
13. Window bays, articulation of roof lines through the use of dormers or gables, variation in building offsets, the division of continuous material(s), the use of architectural accents such as chimneys, balconies, pediments, columns, cornice lines, or moldings shall be used in townhomes or row dwelling facilities and multi-family facades.
14. Any garage door proposed within a townhome, row dwelling, or multi-family structure shall be integrated into the façade so as not to become a prominent element of the dwelling.
15. Stairways and stairwells shall be integrated into and complement the overall architectural form and style. Flimsy, open metal, prefabricated stairs are not allowed. Uncovered stairs shall be screened from view with wing walls or landscaping.