Architecture is a major contributing factor to a community's sense of place. Building design must contribute to The Village's sense of place by using predominant materials, elements, features, color range and activity areas tailored specifically to the site and its context. Building design regulations are intended to promote quality architecture and preserve the City of The Village's sense of place.

The provisions of this Division apply to all single-family, two-family, three- family, and four-family residential buildings in all zoning districts.

Facades must be articulated by using color, arrangement, or change in materials to emphasize the façade elements. Exterior wall planes may be varied in height, depth, or direction. Design elements and detailing, including the presentation of windows and window treatments (for walls that face the public right-of-way), trim detailing, and exterior wall materials, must be continued completely around the structure. Doors and windows must be detailed to add visual interest to the façade.

Development of ten or more single-, two-, three-, or four-family residential buildings must have five or more different elevations, or a number of elevations equal to at least 10% of the number of lots in the development phase, whichever is more. (Different trim levels on houses with a nearly identical floor plan are not considered different elevations.) Houses of the same elevation, including those with identical, similar, or mirrored floor plans, cannot be placed on adjacent lots or directly across the street from each other.

Single-, two-, three-, and four-family residential buildings must include at least one of the following elements:

   (a)   Either:

      o   Side, rear, or alley-loaded garage, or detached garage; or

      o   Front-loading garage comprising no more than 50% of the total length of the front façade and protrudes no more than 6 ft. from the longest front wall;

   (b)   Masonry wainscot at least 4 ft. on all exterior walls, if the side and rear walls are not constructed of those materials;

   (c)   Functional front porch at least 100 sq. ft. in size;

   (d)   One of the following green building certifications:

      o   National Association of Homebuilders National Green Building Program: ANSI ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard, Bronze, Silver, or Gold; or

      o   U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

   (a)   Rooftop mechanical equipment is prohibited.

   (b)   Ground-mounted mechanical equipment (air conditioning units, utility boxes, etc.) must be hidden or screened with architecturally integrated wing walls or living screening material that will grow to the same height as the equipment being screened or placed where they are not visible from the public right-of-way.

   (c)   Solar panels are exempt from the mechanical equipment screening standards.

Predominant building exterior materials must be high quality and used in their natural context and color. Masonry must be used as dominant (at least 50% of exterior surface area) exterior materials. Wood and fiber-cement siding are examples of appropriate secondary materials.

Building design must contribute to The Village's sense of place by using predominant materials, elements, features, color range and activity areas tailored specifically to the site and its context. Standard formula or prototype building designs must be modified, if necessary, to conform to these design standards. In multifamily housing, shopping and commercial centers, or multiple building developments, individual buildings must include predominant characteristics shared by all buildings in the development, so the development forms a cohesive place.

The provisions of this Division apply to all commercial, office, public, Institutional, and mixed-use buildings in all zoning districts, except for temporary classroom buildings permitted in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 6, Section 6-202 of The Village City Code. (Ord. No. 743 §2, 03-18-2019)

   a)   Distinct groups of buildings on a site must share a common, identifiable, complementary design or style. This includes accessory structures such as freestanding canopies, accessory and maintenance buildings, and dumpster enclosures.

   b)   A building must have a single definitive, consistent style. Mixing of various architectural styles on the same building is discouraged.

A single, large, dominant building mass must be avoided in new buildings and projects involving changes to the mass of existing buildings. Changes in mass should be related to entrances, tenant spaces, the integral structure and/or the interior space organization and activities, and not just for cosmetic effect. Storefronts along a dominant mass and incorporating only changes in color and/or parapet treatment to distinguish each storefront are prohibited.

   (a)   Base and top.

      Façades and walls must have a recognizable base with (but not limited to):

      o   thicker walls, ledges, or sills;

      o   integrally textured materials such as stone or other masonry;

      o   integrally colored and patterned materials such as smooth-finished stone;

      o   lighter or darker colored materials, mullions, or panels; or

      o   planters;

      o   and a recognizable top with (but not limited to):

      o   cornice treatments, other than colored stripes or bands alone, with integrally textured materials such as stone or other masonry or differently colored materials;

      o   sloping roof with overhangs and brackets; or

      o   stepped parapets.

   (b)   Four-sided design.

      All walls must include materials design characteristics consistent with those on the front.

   (c)   Long walls and façades; projections and recesses.

      Walls at least 100 ft. long must include wall plane projections or recesses having at least 3% depth of the façade length and extending at least 20% of the façade length. Corporate Office Complexes are exempt from the requirements of this paragraph. (Ord. No. 750 §2, 10-21-2019)

   (d)   Exterior walls.

   Exterior walls cannot have a blank, uninterrupted length greater than 30 ft. without including two or more of these features: change in plane, change in texture or masonry pattern, windows, or other equivalent element(s) that subdivide the wall into human scale proportions. Side or rear walls may include false windows and door openings defined by frames, sills and lintels, or similarly proportioned modulations, only when actual doors and windows are not possible because of the building use.

   (e)   Primary building entrances.

   Primary building entrances must be clearly defined and recessed or framed by a sheltering element such as an awning, arcade, or portico to provide shelter from the sun and inclement weather.

   (f)   Retail building entrances.

   Anchor stores, freestanding/single-use buildings, and at least 25% of the stores in a shopping center must have a clearly defined, highly visible customer entrance with four or more of the following elements:

   o   Arcades

   o   Canopies or porticos

   o   Details such as tile work and moldings integrated into the building structure and design

   o   Display windows

   o   Integral planters or wing walls that include landscaped areas and/or places for sitting

   o   Outdoor patios

`   o   Overhangs

   o   Peaked roof forms

   o   Raised corniced parapets over the door

   o   Recesses and/or projections

Additionally, at least 50% of the stores in a shopping center must have two or more of the elements listed above.

   (g)   Awnings.

   Awnings may only be used in detached increments above individual windows, doors, entries, or retail frontages.

   (h)   Transparency in commercial buildings.

   (1)   At ground level, buildings must have a high level of transparency. Façades and walls that face the street, pedestrian walkways, plazas, and parking areas (excluding the building rear) must have windows or otherwise be transparent at least 50% of its surface area between ground level and 12 ft. above grade.

   (2)   Side walls must have windows or otherwise be transparent at least 15% of its surface area between ground level and 12 ft. above grade.

   (3)   Where the internal arrangement of a building makes it impossible to provide transparency along a portion of a wall, a combination of sculptural, mosaic, or bas-relief artwork and transparent window areas or displays may substitute for 50% of required transparent areas, except when fronting plaza areas.

Good door and window coverage on prominent elevations

   (i)   Garage doors.

   (1)   Garage bay doors must be segmented, with windows covering at least 50% of the garage surface. Garage doors must be recessed at least 2 ft. behind the building façade.

   (2)   Vehicle service areas and bays must be screened or sited so visibility from the public right-of-way is as low as possible.

   (3)   Garage bay doors must be integrated into the overall design of the site with color, texture, and windows.

   (a)   Roof form design.

Roof forms must correspond to and denote building elements and functions such as entrances, arcades, and porches. Roof forms should relate to adjacent buildings or developments.

   (b)   Required features.

   Sloping roofs must have one of the following features:

   o   Overhanging eaves, extending at least 1.5 ft. past the supporting walls.

   o   Sloping roofs that do not exceed the average height of the supporting walls, with an average slope of at least 1 ft. of vertical rise for every 3 ft. of horizontal run and no more than 1 ft. of vertical rise for every 1 ft. of horizontal run.

   (c)   Roof lines.

   The continuous plane of a roof line must be no more than 100 ft. Corporate Office Complexes may contain structures having a continuous plane of a roof line greater than 100 ft., provided the structures include similar architectural treatment or motifs as seen in other buildings within the complex. (Ord. No. 750 §3, 10-21-2019)

   (d)   Drive-through areas.

   Drive through areas must be architecturally integrated into the host structure.

   (a)   Architectural integration.

   Canopies must include design elements found on the main building, including color, materials, and roof pitch.

   (b)   Canopy support poles.

   Canopy support poles must include either (1) decorative corbels or other architectural embellishment consistent with the overall architectural theme of the site, or (2) pole covers at least 18 in. wide with a similar surface material and architectural treatments as the dominant material on the main structure. (Ord. No. 750 §4, 10-21-2019)

   (c)   Canopy fascia.

   Canopy facias must be the same color as the dominant color of the main building. Striping and banding on canopies is prohibited.

   (a)   Building materials.

   (1)   Predominant building exterior materials must be high quality and used in their natural context and color. Masonry (stone, brick, decorative CMU, and similar materials) must be used as dominant (at least 50% of exterior surface area) exterior materials. Non-retail buildings may also use glass as a dominant exterior material. Corporate Office Complexes may use EIFS as a dominant exterior building material if consistent with other buildings within the complex. Fiber-cement siding and textured concrete/EIFS are examples of appropriate secondary exterior materials.

   (2)   EIFS used as a building material may only consist of high-impact-resistant EIFS with Drainage and may only be used at least two (2) feet above ground elevation. Corporate Office Complexes may include EIFS no lower than one (1) foot above ground elevation if it can be demonstrated that there will not be a risk of regular contact with objects that may impact or damage the material.

   (3)   Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) may substitute for any amount of predominant and secondary exterior materials.

   (4)   Smooth-faced concrete block, painted masonry, and tilt-up and precast concrete panels are prohibited.

   (5)   T-1-11 and other plywood-based siding materials are prohibited.

   (6)   Prefabricated and pre-engineered metal buildings and panels are prohibited.

(Ord. No. 750, §5. 10-21-2019)

   (b)   Roof materials.

   (1)   Roof materials must be high quality, durable and consistent with local architectural themes. Acceptable roof materials include concrete tile, clay tile, high profile asphalt shingles, metal shingles, flat seam metal roofing, masonry or other flat roofing materials, photovoltaic roof tiles and shingles, and solar panels.

   (2)   Green roofs are permitted and strongly encouraged.

   (c)   Material or color changes.

Material or color changes must occur only at a change of plane or reveal line. Material or color changes at outside corners, piecemeal embellishment, and frequent material changes are prohibited.

   (a)   Rooftop mechanical equipment must be hidden or screened with architecturally integral elements at least as high as the equipment to be screened. Makeshift equipment screens, such as wood or plastic fences, are prohibited.

   (b)   Ground mounted mechanical equipment must be hidden or screened with architecturally integral wing walls and/or landscaping.

   (c)   Solar panels are exempt from mechanical equipment screening standards.

   (a)   Electrical meters, switch boxes, panels, conduit, and related utility equipment must be placed in the most inconspicuous location possible.

   (b)   Utility equipment must be painted or coated to match the color of the mounting surface.

   (c)   Utility equipment located in an area that may be frequently seen by the general public must be screened with a wing wall architecturally integrated into the host structure.

The public infrequently visits industrial sites. However, industrial buildings are often quite visible to the city's residents and visitors. Quality architectural design creates a professional environment that reflects positively on The Village and its businesses. This section shall not apply to industrial buildings or structures over 200,000 sq. ft. in area.

The provisions of this Division apply to all industrial buildings in all zoning districts.

   (a)   In industrial parks, each building must include predominant characteristics shared by all buildings in the development, so the development forms a cohesive place.

   (b)   Distinct groups of buildings on a site must share a common, identifiable, complementary design or style. This includes accessory structures such as freestanding canopies, accessory and maintenance buildings, and dumpster enclosures.

A single, large, dominant building mass should be avoided in new buildings and, as much as possible, in projects involving changes to the mass of existing buildings. Changes in mass must be related to entrances, the integral structure and/or the organization of interior spaces and activities and not merely for cosmetic effect.

   (a)   Pattern.

   Façades and walls must include a repeating pattern with an expression of architectural or structural bays through a change in plane, such as an offset, reveal, pilaster, projecting ribs, fenestration patterns, or piers; and any of the following elements:

   o   color change

   o   texture change

   o   material module change

All elements must repeat at intervals of no more than 30 ft.

   (b)   Four-sided design.

All façades and walls must include materials and design characteristics consistent with those on the front façade. Inferior or lesser quality materials for side or rear walls are prohibited.

   (c)   Garage doors.

Bay doors must be screened using wing walls, carefully placed berms on the site, or other effective screening and site planning techniques, or otherwise sited so visibility from the public right-of-way is minimized. Bay doors must be integrated into the overall design theme of the site with color, texture, and windows. Segmented garage bay doors with windows are preferred to roll-up garage doors.

   (d)   Primary building entrances.

Primary building entrances must be clearly defined and recessed or framed by a sheltering element such as an awning, arcade, or portico to provide shelter from the sun and inclement weather.

   (a)   Green roofs.

   Green roofs and solar panels are strongly encouraged.

   (a)   Building materials.

   (1)   Durable, high quality building materials must be used. Brick, stone, split-face CMU, EIFS with Drainage, detailed tilt-up concrete panels, and building- integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are examples of appropriate building materials.

   (2)   T-1-11 and other plywood-based siding materials are prohibited.

   (3)   Prefabricated and pre-engineered metal buildings and panels are prohibited.

   (b)   Material or color changes.

   Material or color changes must occur only at a change of plane or reveal line. Piecemeal embellishment and frequent material changes are prohibited.

   (a)   Rooftop mechanical equipment must be hidden or screened with architecturally integral elements at least as high as the equipment to be screened. Makeshift equipment screens, such as wooden or plastic fences, are prohibited.

   (b)   Ground mounted mechanical equipment must be hidden or screened with architecturally integral wing walls and/or landscaping.

   (c)   Solar panels are exempt from mechanical equipment screening standards.

   (a)   Electrical meters, switch boxes, panels, conduit, and related utility equipment must be placed in the most inconspicuous location possible.

   (b)   Utility equipment must be painted or coated to match the color of the mounting surface.

   (c)   Utility equipment located in an area that may be frequently seen by the general public must be screened with a wing wall architecturally integrated into the host structure.