Architectural Design Standards

September 23, 2009

ADS 4.10 Building Scale

Commercial, Mixed-Use, Civic
I	II	III	IV

ADS 4.10.1 Intent.

To ensure a comfortable pedestrian experience, the scale of large buildings shall be visually reduced by elements that divide a large building into smaller proportions.

ADS 4.10.2 Standard.

Building walls shall be subdivided and proportioned using features such as windows, entrances, storefronts, arcades, arbors, awnings, trellises, or other similarly-scaled architectural details (see section ADS 4.16). These features shall cover at least 90% of the building front wall length and at least 60% of other building wall lengths. The full width of each vertical building bay that contains the previously-listed details shall be counted towards the minimum length of the building that must contain these details.

Example for Front Walls

Example for Walls other than a Front Wall

Don’t Do This:
The building front contains few features to break up its length or large proportion; the features do not cover at least 90% of the building.	This building has a painted pattern, which is not enough of a feature to break up the large facade.

Don’t Do This:

drawing of the front walls of a commercial building with few features to break up its length

The building front contains few features to break up its

length or large proportion; the features do not cover at

least 90% of the building.

drawing of the front walls of a commercial building with a painted pattern

This building has a painted pattern, which is not enough

of a feature to break up the large facade.

Do This:
The building breaks up the front of the facade into smaller proportions with storefronts, windows, awnings, and other features; these features cover at least 90% of the building front.	This mixed-used building uses windows, arcades, storefronts, awnings, and building stepbacks to break up the long facade; these features cover at least 90 % fo the building front.

Do This:

drawing of the front walls of a mixed-use commercial building with several smaller features on the facade

The building breaks up the front of the facade into smaller

proportions with storefronts, windows, awnings, and

other features; these features cover at least 90% of the

building front.

This mixed-used building uses windows, arcades, storefronts,

awnings, and building stepbacks to break up the long facade;

these features cover at least 90 % fo the building front.

Effective on: 1/1/1901