HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRB130552 Memorandum from Jeff WinstonDesign Review Memorandum
RE: Wall Street Building, DRB Submittal, File: DRB130552 Schematic Designs.pdf
DATE: 12 December 2013
TO: Warren Campbell, TOV Community Development
FROM: Jeff
Winston
This memo is to provide input on the DRB review of the Wall Street Building with regard to a determination of consistency of the proposed improvements with the Urban Design
Guide Plan (as prescribed in Policy 1.1.1 of the Vail Village Master Plan).
The Wall Street Building is one of the few remaining “pre-guidelines” buildings in Vail Village, at a key
intersection near the heart of the Village. This renovation is an opportunity to bring the building into greater consistency with the Village Core character, and in fact, “heal” this
important corner.
With inexpensive additional modifications, even the unchanged portions of the building can be greatly improved.
Relevant Standards
Vail Village Master Plan
Goal 1:
Encourage high quality redevelopment while preserving unique architectural scale of the village in order to sustain its sense of community and identity.
(Retaining the existing building
retains the scale of the Village.
(Retain the identity of the Village. Some of the proposed improvements (3rd floor balcony railings) give the building a greater “Vail” character,
while others do not (see discussion below, beginning with Proposed East View)
Vail Village Urban Design Guide Plan--Architectural Considerations
Overhangs
Specific design consideration
should be given to protection of pedestrian ways adjacent to buildings.
Overhangs are treated with varying degrees of ornamentation. Structural elements such as roof beans are expressed beneath the overhangs, simply or decoratively carved.
(The extended
canopy arcade, with its heavy timber arced brackets is consistent with this guideline.
Materials
Stucco, brick, wood, are the primary building materials found in the Village.
Of the
above materials, stucco is the most consistently used material.
(The proposed building maintains a majority of the stucco exterior, and the wood siding is retained, and consistent with
the guidelines.
Color
Body colors, both siding and stucco, shall be rich and lively but must be less chromatic shades, which relate to natural colors and can be either light or dark.
All stucco shall have a flat finish.
(Proposed building improvements appear to comply. (The existing textured stucco that is not affected by the expansion is likely to be retained.)
Transparency
The
guidelines prescribe ground floor (commercial) facades that are proportionately more transparent than upper floors.
Most characteristic and Vail-like ground floor facades range from
55% to 70% of the total length of the commercial façade. Upper floors are often the converse: 30% to 40% transparent.
Glass areas are usually subdivided to express individual elements—and
are further subdivided by mullions in to small panes – which is responsible for much of the old-world charm of the Village.
Large single pane windows occur in the Village, as long as
they are generally consistent in form with other windows.
(Elements on the ground floor of the East View that appear to be consistent with these guidelines include:
the articulated
transom windows above the main windows on ground floor of the East View
the variations in the ground floor window patterns give nice vitality and “evolved over time” character
(Elements
that do not appear to be consistent with these guidelines are the proposed large window expanses on the 2nd story at the north end of the building (see Figure 3 below). In the latest
submittal, these windows have been modified from a previous suburban “storefront” style to slightly more articulated square mullion pattern, but presenting a total window-wall, floor
to ceiling, adjacent to the key intersection in Vail.
If these windows were part of a two-story display area there might be some justification to vary the guidelines, as has been done
in at the Gorsuch Building for example. (See Figures 1 & 2 below).
However, this space is intended, and designed, to be and office or conference room.
We do not doubt that the applicant has the best of intentions for a well-kept space. However, over
time, because of the total glass condition, and as we have seen in other similar second story uses with full visibility, we envision the potential for views of the back of desks, computers
and wiring, storage boxes.
Finally, the added transom windows above the patio doors seem out of proportion by being too tall and could benefit from having mullions that break them into
smaller panes. The proportions of the transom windows on the ground floor could be a good ratio to follow.
Recommendation to comply with the guidelines:
Replace the large expanse of
2nd floor windows with individual windows, or groups of windows, set into an equal-or-greater amount of wall surface.
As an alternative, treat the windows as a two-story composition,
but
Increase the amount of wall surface at each end of the window expanse
Extend the mullion grid to the ground floor windows
Add mullions to the unchanged 2nd and 3rd story windows
on the east façade.
Reduce the height of the 3rd floor transom windows, similar to the ratio of the ground floor transom windows.
Trim
Prominent (wide) wood trim is also a unifying feature
in the Village.
Windows and doors are treated as strong visual features.
(A number of the new windows and doors appear to comply with this guideline.
(Some of the existing, unchanged
windows are proposed to have wider trim, many are not.
Recommendation to comply with the guidelines:
Add wide trim around the 3rd story windows and doors.
Additional recommendations/suggestions
Shu
tters are a common element in the Village that help bring variety, old-world charm. An inexpensive addition of several shutters to the 2nd story single windows on east façade of the
south (stucco) section of the building and the 3rd story single windows would add variety and interest to the building, and give the unchanged parts of the building a more Vail-like
character
Even though the ground floor northeast entry building layout has been approved by the PEC, we still encourage the applicant to consider an
alternative layout that would a) give a more spacious pass-through, b) provide a more visible doorway, and c) give the applicant additional 25 s.f. of floor area.
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Figure 1: Gorsuch
Building characteristics
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The images below are not intended to be a design, but merely to illustrate how the application of the guidelines could add Vail-character to the north end of the building.
Figure
4: Proposed north view