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Building Design & Materials
Although specific architectural standards are beyond the scope of a site design guidebook, general building design principles do apply to development within our ten-county region. Inasmuch as an oversized stained-glass window set in a small pole building looks out of place, so too do some buildings when placed on certain sites. The design of a structure and the materials selected for construction or remodeling affect the way a building relates to its natural and manmade context. When designed well, a building can contribute to the continuity of street elevation, as well as emphasize a site’s unique characteristics (e.g., slopes, corner lot, shoreline). Buildings with varied roof lines, window details, façade articulation, chimneys, entry details, and different but complementary materials contribute to the interest of a streetscape. Consequently, a building’s design – particularly the façade – and exterior materials can have a significant impact on how the structure is perceived. To provide communities with the desired development type, jurisdictions are encouraged to formulate architectural and landscaping standards for their area.
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Varied rooflines provide visual interest, Leelanau County
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Building Façade Design
Buildings with façades possessing common elements (e.g., architectural features, building materials) contribute to a unified street character even though their uses may differ. Newly constructed or modified building façades need not replicate existing building designs; however, they should complement existing buildings’ geometry, scale, and/or quality of detail.
The introduction of good design elements creates patterns worth continuing. Whenever possible, building façades with historical significance should be preserved during renovation work and traditional building materials, colors, and textures encouraged in historic areas.
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Articultation, Modulation, & Rooflines
The use of different architectural elements can enhance a building’s visual appeal and even diminish the perceived size of a large structure, thereby helping it fit into an existing neighborhood pattern. Regularly spaced entrances, windows, balconies, and different rooflines provide visual relief to large buildings by dividing their total mass into smaller, identifiable sections with a more human scale. A building’s roofline can also facilitate compatibility with adjacent structures and reinforce the architectural character of a street.
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Architectural element improves the appearance of a basic structure
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Exterior Building Treatment & Materials
A building’s exterior treatment significantly impacts how the structure is perceived. As a result, the incorporation of architectural styles, building materials, and color palettes complementary to the neighborhood building character is encouraged, especially in historic districts or areas with an established character.
Green building techniques (i.e., energy efficient building methods using environmentally safe materials) should be considered when developing projects given the community’s desire to preserve our region’s natural resources. Green building techniques include, among other things: living roofs, utilizing local and/or recycled materials, daylighting, and greywater systems.
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Buildings with compatible architectural elements, Traverse City, Grand Traverse County
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Form-Based Codes
Form-based codes provide communities a method of regulating the visual aspects of development. This tool emphasizes a structure's architectural style, dimensions, façade features, and parking location rather than its use. Land use issues are addressed through broad parameters that allow for changes over time while still prohibiting undesirable uses.
Form-based codes utilize graphics and photos to depict the details of zoning requirements. Typically this makes form-based codes more readily understood by a wide range of people.
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Key Points:
- In building façade design consider: compatibility, proportion, human scale, repeating patterns, consistent levels of detail, continuity of a theme, neighborhood character, signage, durability of materials, color, texture, historical character, local design standards, and window-to-wall-area ratio.
- Build structures with a clear design concept. Designs may be symmetrical or asymmetrical, may highlight a courtyard or architectural elements (e.g., arcade, entry), or may use terracing (a technique that can reduce a building’s impact on a site with steep slopes). Buildings should be designed and situated on sites to complement the existing natural and built environment, as well as to provide compatibility and connectivity with neighboring sites.
- Structures divided into forty (40) foot sections through the use of architectural elements result in the formation of buildings and streetscapes with greater visual interest. Methods include: varying the façade by more than six (6) feet; breaking up the roofline through the use of dormers, chimneys, gables, or stepped roofs; using various site elements (e.g., lighting, landscaping, other site features) to distinguish different sections of the structure.
- Even modest and inexpensive additions to a basic structure can improve its appearance considerably.
- Exterior building materials should be durable and appropriate for the region’s four seasons. Consider incorporating a variety of masonry materials (e.g., brick, stone, textured concrete, colored concrete or mortar), mosaics, or other artwork to improve the appearance of blank walls.
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