How to Use the Smoky Hollow Design Guidelines

This section presents guidelines to assist applicants in developing high-quality building rehabilitation, additions, and new construction projects in Smoky Hollow. Guideline concepts are noted over photographic examples of project types; these concepts are further described in the written design guidelines that follow the photographic examples.

Applicants and their design teams should utilize the following design guidelines to the maximum extent for all construction projects. The design guidelines are organized into five key themes:

• Enhance Building Character
• Facilitate Gathering
• Provide Landscape
• Encourage Connectivity
• Design for Signage, Wayfinding,
  and Public Art

Each theme is represented by a color - and individual guidelines by an icon - to visually cross-reference the themes and ideas of the guidelines to the illustrative examples shown on the previous pages.

Figure 2-4: Design for Adaptive Reuse

Figure 2-5: Design for Infill Buildings

Figure 2-6: Design for Building Additions

Figure 2-7: Design for Campus Projects

Figure 2-8: Design for Street and Sidewalk Frontages

Figure 2-9: Design for Street Corners

Figure 2-10: Design for Alleyways

Smoky Hollow Design Guidelines

Not all of the design guidelines will be applicable to each project, but each project team should be able to explain how the guidelines shaped their project design and work with City staff to incorporate as many of the ideas as possible.

Enhance Building Character

Build on the quality industrial character of architecture currently in Smoky Hollow.

Convey a sense of old and new through conservation of existing materials and details and selection of new building components that complement existing conditions without mimicking an older architectural character.

Build upon existing context through use of similar forms, heights, proportions, building materials, and details observed in the surrounds.

Conserve and retain the character-defining features of an existing building; minimize the removal of older components, materials, and details. Repair such features rather than replace them, to the maximum extent feasible.

Encourage additions that complement existing character-defining features and are differentiated and secondary to the bulk and massing of existing buildings.

Incorporate small, medium, and large scales through design of differentiated massing and a variety of components, proportions, and details.

Emphasize design at the pedestrian level through expressed forms, shapes, masses, materials, and details at first-floor frontages.

Specify 360° architecture through extension of the character-defining elements and materials, level of detail, and architectural consistency at all building façades.

Enhance entry expression through use of color, forms, materials, details, orientation to sidewalks, landscaping, and place-making to create a sense of arrival.

Encourage the use of roll-up doors and sliding walls at street frontages to add visual interest at the pedestrian level and enhance indoor-outdoor interactions.

Orient secondary entries to alleys to create a sense of arrival and increase pedestrian presence in alleys.

Incorporate different materials, colors, and textures at a building’s exterior to create visual interest, avoid monotonous or repetitive building frontages.

Facilitate Gathering

Form an active street wall through design of building frontages with material and detail interest at or near sidewalks and use of sidewalk-oriented entries.

Provide street corner plazas through setbacks from street corners or through conversion of front yard surface parking.

Develop outdoor gathering spaces at entries, along sidewalks, at patios, and on rooftops to invite activity.

Provide alley-facing gathering spaces through setbacks and modulations at rear property lines that invite safe use and activity.

Provide ease of access along and across sites through leveling outdoor and indoor height differences, provision of accessible ramps and handrails, removal of obstacles on sidewalks, and minimization of curb cuts.

Enhance surface parking through use of enduring quality paving materials that create visual interest; use permeable paving materials consistent with City building codes.

Use enduring, quality paving materials or street painting to realize visual interest and differentiate the defined pedestrian zone from traffic lanes.

Provide street furniture of enduring quality and aesthetic value; examples include benches, information posts, trash cans, etc.

Use exterior lighting to accentuate safety and design elements of public and private outdoor areas and sidewalks.

Provide Wi-Fi hotspots to attract pedestrians and encourage gathering at specified locations.

Incorporate Landscape and Environmental Design

Design layered and lush landscaping through selection of plant materials that display a variety of shapes, textures, and colors.

Select drought-tolerant and native plants to reduce irrigation and conserve water.

Utilize planters and pots to provide greenery along sidewalks where street trees are not permitted.

Improve landscaping in parking areas through the use of tree canopies, landscape planters, and design of walls and fences that create visual interest, and reduce the heat island effect.

Use fences and walls as an extension of the architecture and character of the building.

Utilize natural light through use of large window expanses, clearstories, skylights, etc. to enhance working spaces and reduce lighting energy consumption.

Encourage Connectivity

Install bike facilities consistent with City building code requirements - such as bike racks, bike storage, bike sharing stations, dedicated shower rooms, and lockers - to encourage biking.

Design for Signage, Way-Finding, and Public Art

Design signs as an integral component of the architectural program. Consider channel letter signs, projecting signs, and flag signs. Avoid box signs with plastic covers.

Incorporate way-finding through integral design of identity and directional signage and on-site lighting to guide and enhance circulations.

Encourage public art, including murals, street paintings, outdoor installation art, and light-based art installations, to create visual interest along alleys.