LOS ANGELES—Developers shouldn't have a problem meeting the new design standards for small-lot ordinance development that have been proposed to the City. The design guidelines, once approved, will require that developers take basic steps to create properties that fit into the aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood. Many of these standards are already being addressed by developers.
“The number of new standards runs the spectrum from dwelling orientation, which is something as simple as primary facades, whether that is primary entries or public rights of way, meaning that you can't turn you back on the neighborhood if you are facing a public street to details on façade articulation, to a detailed roof line,” Alan Scales, a principal at KTGY Architecture + Design, tells GlobeSt.com. “There is an additional set of standards for pedestrian access and rooflines, landscaping and building modulation.”
These are not standards that developers will find challenging, says Scales, adding that most developers already meet these standards. “Some of these things sound silly to me because it is commonplace in the work that we do all day long. We are addressing these things regardless of a checklist, and I think that ultimately the responsible design team is doing these things,” he explains. “There is a lot of this work that has been going on for years and there is quite a few design teams that are exceeding these standards without issue. When I look at this, I really think that we have been doing this all along. We are not trying to build boxes here; we are trying to build homes.”
To ensure that developers will meet the proposed requirements, they will need to meet certain criteria. “There is effectively a checklist that breaks down each category and gives you several different ways to address the design standard. The City is asking you to pick a majority of the items on the checklist to prove that you have met the requirement,” adds Scales. “Something like that is preventing a typical stucco box from going up with no attention to detail. It can be as simple as changing the wall plane or stepping the front of the building back.”
LOS ANGELES—Developers shouldn't have a problem meeting the new design standards for small-lot ordinance development that have been proposed to the City. The design guidelines, once approved, will require that developers take basic steps to create properties that fit into the aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood. Many of these standards are already being addressed by developers.
“The number of new standards runs the spectrum from dwelling orientation, which is something as simple as primary facades, whether that is primary entries or public rights of way, meaning that you can't turn you back on the neighborhood if you are facing a public street to details on façade articulation, to a detailed roof line,” Alan Scales, a principal at KTGY Architecture + Design, tells GlobeSt.com. “There is an additional set of standards for pedestrian access and rooflines, landscaping and building modulation.”
These are not standards that developers will find challenging, says Scales, adding that most developers already meet these standards. “Some of these things sound silly to me because it is commonplace in the work that we do all day long. We are addressing these things regardless of a checklist, and I think that ultimately the responsible design team is doing these things,” he explains. “There is a lot of this work that has been going on for years and there is quite a few design teams that are exceeding these standards without issue. When I look at this, I really think that we have been doing this all along. We are not trying to build boxes here; we are trying to build homes.”
To ensure that developers will meet the proposed requirements, they will need to meet certain criteria. “There is effectively a checklist that breaks down each category and gives you several different ways to address the design standard. The City is asking you to pick a majority of the items on the checklist to prove that you have met the requirement,” adds Scales. “Something like that is preventing a typical stucco box from going up with no attention to detail. It can be as simple as changing the wall plane or stepping the front of the building back.”
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Kelsi Maree Borland
