New Construction

If you are planning a new construction project in one of Staunton's five Historic Preservation Districts: 

The following guidelines are intended to provide a general design framework for new construction. Designers can use these guidelines as a starting point for the design of appropriate, new architecture for Staunton's districts.  New buildings mimicking historic architecture is neither intended nor desired. 

These criteria are all important when considering whether proposed new buildings are appropriate and compatible. However, the degree of importance of each criterion varies within each area as conditions vary. For instance, setback and spacing between buildings may be more important than roof forms or materials since there is more variety of the last two criteria on most streets. Not all criteria need to be met in every example of new construction.

Foundation

The foundation forms the base of a building. On many buildings it is indistinguishable from the walls of the buildings. On others it is a different material or texture or is raised well above ground level. Solid masonry foundations are common for residential buildings. Masonry piers, most often of brick, support many porches.

1. Distinguish the foundation from the rest of the structure through the use of different materials, patterns, or textures.

2. Respect the height, contrast of materials, and textures of foundations on surrounding historic buildings.

Materials and Textures

1. The selection of materials and textures for a new building should be compatible with and complement neighboring buildings. In order to strengthen the traditional image of the residential areas of the historic districts, brick and wood siding are the most appropriate materials for new buildings.

2. On large-scale, multi-lot buildings, primary facades should be divided into different bays and planes to relate to existing neighboring buildings. Varying materials, shades, and textures also should be considered.

3. Synthetic sidings, including vinyl, aluminum, and synthetic stucco-like finishes, are not historic cladding materials in the historic districts and their use should be avoided.

Color

1. The selection and use of colors for a new building should be coordinated and compatible with adjacent buildings. In Staunton's historic districts various traditional shades of brick red, white, yellow, tan, green, or gray are appropriate.

2. For more information on colors traditionally used on historic structures and the placement of color on a building see the guidelines for residential rehabilitation.

Architectural Details and Decorative Features

The details and decoration of Staunton's historic buildings vary tremendously with the different styles, periods, and types. Such details include cornices, roof overhang, chimneys, lintels, sills, brackets, brick patterns, shutters, entrance decoration, and porch elements.

It is a challenge to create new designs that use historic details successfully. One extreme is to simply copy the complete design of a historic building and the other is to "paste on" historic details on a modern unadorned design. Neither solution is appropriate for designing architecture that relates to its historic context and yet still reads as a contemporary building. More successful new buildings take their clues from historic images and reintroduce and reinterpret designs of traditional decorative elements.

Building Types Within the Historic Districts

When designing new buildings in the historic districts one needs to recognize that while there is an overall distinctive district character, there is, nevertheless, a great variety of historic building types, styles, and scales throughout the districts. Likewise, there are several types of new construction that might be constructed within the districts. The design parameters of these new buildings will differ depending on the following types:

1. Infill: Residential infill buildings are new dwellings that are constructed on the occasional vacant lot within a block of existing historic houses. Setback, spacing, and general massing of the new dwelling are the most important criteria that should relate to the existing historic structures.

2. Neighborhood Transitional: Neighborhood transitional buildings are located on sites adjoining both commercial and residential areas. The design of these buildings should attempt to relate to the character of the adjacent neighborhood as well as to the commercial core. While these buildings may be larger in scale than residential structures, their materials, roof forms, and massing should relate to residential forms.

3. Institutional: Churches, schools, and other civic buildings are all structures that represent a unique aspect of community life and frequently have special requirements that relate to their distinct uses. For these reasons, these buildings usually are freestanding and their scale and architectural arrangements may be of a different nature than their residential and historic neighbors. However, their materials should blend with the character of the district.

Setback

For these guidelines, setback is defined generally as the area between the street and the wall of the building. In the zoning code, it refers to the distance between the property line and the wall of the building.

1. Keep residential setbacks within 20 percent of the setbacks of the majority of neighboring dwellings.

2. For governmental or institutional buildings, either reinforce the street wall through a minimal setback, or use a deep setback within a landscaped area to emphasize the civic function.

3. At transitional sites between two distinctive areas of setback, for instance between new commercial and historic residential, consider creating a more uniform spacing that relates to the setback of the historic buildings.

Spacing Between Buildings

Spacing between buildings depends on the size of the lot, the size of the building, and side-yard setback requirements. Consistent spacing between a row of buildings helps to establish an overall rhythm along a street.

1. Maintain existing consistency of spacing in the area. New residences should be spaced within 20 percent of the average spacing between houses on that block.

2. In areas that do not have consistent spacing, consider limiting or creating a more uniform spacing in order to establish an overall rhythm.

Complexity of Form

A building's form, or shape, can be simple (a box) or complex (a combination of many boxes or projections and indentations). The level of complexity usually relates directly to the style or type of building. In residential areas, use forms that relate to the majority of surrounding residences.

Directional Expression

This guideline addresses the relationship between height and width on the front elevation of a building mass. A building is horizontal, vertical, or square in its proportions. Residential building orientation often relates to era and style. Designs from the early nineteenth century (Federal and Greek Revival) and early twentieth century (Colonial Revival) often have horizontal expression, except for the town-house form which is more vertical. From the Victorian era after the Civil War through the turn of the century, domestic architecture is usually two or two-and-one-half stories with a more vertical expression.

1. Respect the directional expression of the majority of surrounding buildings.

Height and Width

The size of a new building can either contribute to or be in conflict with an historic area. Height and width create scale, or the relationship between the size of a building and the size of a person. Scale also can be defined as the relationship of the size of a building to neighboring buildings and of a building to its site.

The design features of a building can reinforce a human scale or can create a monumental scale. In terms of scale, most buildings in the historic districts relate to the human scale and are not monumental.

Houses in the historic districts for the most part range from one to three stories with the majority being two stories. Most historic residential buildings range in width from 25 to 40 feet.

1. Attempt to keep the height and width of new buildings within 130 percent of the prevailing height and width in the surrounding area.

2. In commercial areas at street front, the height should be within 130 percent of the prevailing average of the block. Additional stories should be stepped back so that the additional height is not visible from the street.

3. Reinforce the human scale of the historic districts by including elements such as porches, entrances, storefronts, and decorative features depending on the character of the particular sub-area.

Massing and Building Footprint

New construction in residential sub-areas should relate in footprint and massing to the majority of surrounding historic dwellings.

Roof

Roof design, materials, textures, and orientation should be consistent with the existing structures in the historic districts. Common forms include hipped roofs, gable roofs, cross gables, and gambrel roofs as well as combinations of the above.

1. Roof Forms and Pitches: In general, the roof pitch of an older dwelling is steeper than a new tract house. This factor is more important than the type of roof in most neighborhoods. Shallow pitched roofs and flat roofs generally are inappropriate in historic residential areas.

2. Roof Materials: Common roof materials in the historic districts include metal, slate, and asphalt shingles.

   1. For new construction in the historic districts use traditional roofing materials such as metal or slate.

   2. Avoid using thick wood cedar shakes if using wood shingles; instead use more historically appropriate wood shingles which are thinner and have a smoother finish.

   3. In using asphalt shingles, do not use light colors. Consider using darker textured shingles that resemble slate or wood shingles.

3. Rooftop Screening: If roof-mounted mechanical equipment is used, it should be screened from public view on all sides. The screening material and design should be consistent with the design, textures, materials, and colors of the building. The screening should not appear as an afterthought or addition to the building.

Openings: Doors and Windows

1. The rhythm, patterns, and ratio of solids (walls) and voids (windows and doors) of new buildings should relate to and be compatible with adjacent facades.

2. The size and proportion (ratio of width to height) of window and door openings of primary facades should be similar to and compatible with those on surrounding facades. The proportions of windows of most of Staunton's historic buildings are more vertical than horizontal.

3. Traditionally designed openings generally are recessed on masonry buildings and have a raised surround on frame buildings. New construction should follow these methods in the historic districts as opposed to designing opening that are flush with the rest of the wall.

4. Many entrances of Staunton's historic buildings have special features such as transoms, sidelights, and decorative elements framing the openings. Consideration should be given to incorporating such elements in new construction.

5. Darkly tinted or mirrored glass is not an appropriate material for windows in new buildings within the historic districts.

6. If small paned windows are used in a new construction project, they should have true divided lights and not use clip-in muntin bars

Porches

Most of Staunton's historic houses have some type of porch. There is much variety in the size, location, and type of porches and this variety relates to the different residential architectural styles. Since this feature is such a prominent part of the residential areas of the districts, strong consideration should be given to including a porch or similar form in the design of any new residence in these sub-areas.

Foundation

The foundation forms the base of a building. On many buildings it is indistinguishable from the walls of the buildings. On others it is a different material or texture or is raised well above ground level. Solid masonry foundations are common for residential buildings. Masonry piers, most often of brick, support many porches.

1. Distinguish the foundation from the rest of the structure through the use of different materials, patterns, or textures.

2. Respect the height, contrast of materials, and textures of foundations on surrounding historic buildings.

Materials and Textures

1. The selection of materials and textures for a new building should be compatible with and complement neighboring buildings. In order to strengthen the traditional image of the residential areas of the historic districts, brick and wood siding are the most appropriate materials for new buildings.

2. On large-scale, multi-lot buildings, primary facades should be divided into different bays and planes to relate to existing neighboring buildings. Varying materials, shades, and textures also should be considered.

3. Synthetic sidings, including vinyl, aluminum, and synthetic stucco-like finishes, are not historic cladding materials in the historic districts and their use should be avoided.

Color

1. The selection and use of colors for a new building should be coordinated and compatible with adjacent buildings. In Staunton's historic districts various traditional shades of brick red, white, yellow, tan, green, or gray are appropriate.

2. For more information on colors traditionally used on historic structures and the placement of color on a building see the guidelines for residential rehabilitation.

Architectural Details and Decorative Features

The details and decoration of Staunton's historic buildings vary tremendously with the different styles, periods, and types. Such details include cornices, roof overhang, chimneys, lintels, sills, brackets, brick patterns, shutters, entrance decoration, and porch elements.

It is a challenge to create new designs that use historic details successfully. One extreme is to simply copy the complete design of a historic building and the other is to "paste on" historic details on a modern unadorned design. Neither solution is appropriate for designing architecture that relates to its historic context and yet still reads as a contemporary building. More successful new buildings take their clues from historic images and reintroduce and reinterpret designs of traditional decorative elements.