New and Non-Contributing Buildings
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The character of our city and our historic districts is continually evolving. While many districts are well built out, there are instances where new construction is necessary to replace a lost building or to fill a lot left vacant during the original development period. Additionally, some original buildings have been greatly altered or were built after the period of significance for the district and require unique guidance to promote compatibility with the historic structures. A context sensitive design approach starts with a respect for what exists and builds from there with new construction that fits with the surroundings. Context levels include adjacent properties within the immediate surroundings, as well as the surrounding context on the block including both sides of the street.
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New Construction
12.1 New buildings on a site should only be considered if the historic building cannot accommodate the new or continuing use.
a. They should be located far enough away from the historic building, when possible, where it will be minimally visible and will not negatively affect the building’s character, the site, or setting.
12.2 New construction should be compatible with the historic context but be distinguished from the old and seen as a modern structure, secondary in nature to the historic buildings.
a. Features should not be replicated that create a false sense of history, but consideration should be given to the character defining features of the district (see Appendix A) to ensure the design of the new building does not impair and instead supports these features.
b. Features such as porches in residential districts or defined cornices in commercial districts should be implemented and designed to fit with the surrounding context using proportions, materials, and features seen in the surrounding context.
c. The mass of the new building should reflect the proportions of height to width in the surrounding context. Long facades should be broken up with shifts in the wall plane an additional façade articulation.
d. Similar rooflines should be used which fit with the prevailing pattern of rooflines in the district. This often means a flat roof in a commercial district with gable, gambrel, or hipped roofs in residential districts.
12.3 The new building should not be much larger than the historic buildings surrounding the site and should be in scale with the district.
a. The new building should be constructed at a similar grade to the surrounding buildings on adjacent lots.
12.4 Placement should be in line with the existing structures on the block and not set further back or far in front of the established setback.
a. The footprint of the new building should be similar to that of the coverage pattern in the surrounding context. If ample open space is the prevailing pattern, a new building should not cover most of the lot without leaving any open space.
12.5 Entrances and building orientation should be consistent with the established pattern within the surrounding context. Historically this means primary entrances face the street.
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The three apartment buildings above do not fit with the historic district as the building to the right is a completely blank facade, the roofline configurations are hip whereas gable is predominant, and the windows on the middle apartments are at a height lower than the neighboring building. A positive is the overall height fits with the adjacent buildings without overpowering them.
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12.6 Site features and land formations such as trees or sloping terrain may help minimize the new construction and its impacts.
12.7 Materials should appear similar in scale, color, texture, and finish to those found in the surrounding context.
a. Brick should be of a standard size and depth. Thin brick veneer is not appropriate.
b. Stucco should be a cementitious stucco at least 7/8” in thickness. EIFS is not allowed
c. Fiber-cement lap siding or similar durable wood siding product should have a smooth finish.
d. Vinyl siding is not an appropriate material.
e. The number of materials used on one structure should be limited to one or two to avoid busy facades that are not commonly found on historic buildings.
12.8 Fenestration patterns (windows and doors) should be similar to what is found in the surrounding context in regard to opening sizes, location on the façade, and number of openings.
a. Windows should follow the recommendations in Section 4.14-4.16 Window Replacement.
12.9 In addition to the guidance above, new parking garages should be designed with active ground floor uses to promote an engaging environment. If active uses are proven unfeasible, the façade should be designed with architectural detailing, murals, or landscaping.
a. Upper floors of the parking garage should use durable and decorative screens to minimize the visual impact of cars.
12.10 When designing new buildings, consideration should be given to sustainable designs and approaches that complement the surrounding context. Often, the most sustainable design approaches are the way in which historic buildings were constructed such as a maximum depth of a floor plate of 2.5 times the wall height maximizes daylights and reduces electric loads.
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Sustainable Design Recommendations
- Align most windows north-south and limit east-west glazing
- Maximize glazing above 7 feet off the floor for deep, even daylight
- Prioritize window U values of 0.25 and below
- Provide multiple layers of window control options to alter the indoor environment
- Maintain window to wall ratios between 25 and 40 percent
- Fiberglass and wood are the best window frame materials. Metal requires a thick thermal break to improve performance
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a. Building orientation should be considered to maximize solar gain in the winter and reduce it in the summer. This means orienting more glazing towards the north and south with limited east and west glazing. With the strong east-west grid in the older districts in Lincoln, this approach is easy to achieve while fitting in with the surrounding context.
b. Roof configuration should be designed if solar power will be used to ensure proper placement of the panels to maximize gain (west and south orientation) and limit visibility from the street. The surrounding context for roof form and orientation should also be considered to ensure the design fits with the adjacent buildings.
The new Hilton Garden Inn located on 8th Street in the Haymarket Historic District is compatible with the district but can clearly be seen as a modern building. The dock height is continued along the new facade replicating the design of the Henkle and Joyce Building. The brick facade uses a similar material, but does not replicate the color of the district brick buildings. While floor heights are not properly aligned between new and old, the new building is broken up with offsets on the facade to reduce the overall massing.
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The above infill housing in the foreground was designed with durable materials, similar roof pitches, similar building setback, and a craftsman style that fits with the bungalows located across the street.
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The Haymarket parking garage does an excellent job aligning the floor heights, fenestration pattern, and cornice line of the adjacent historic building. A slight offset in the facade creates three distinct bays, breaking up the large building mass.
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Non-Contributing Buildings
12.11 If the building was constructed during the period of significance but has since been altered to the point of non-contributing, it should be rehabilitated to bring it back to a contributing status.
a. Remove non-original materials and restore original materials.
b. Recreate missing architectural details based on evidence.
c. If materials have been replaced, modern replacement materials are acceptable but the style, opening, and configuration should match that of the original if known.
12.12 Non-contributing buildings constructed during the period of significance should be rehabilitated instead of demolished if feasible.
12.13 For non-contributing buildings designated as such due to their later construction outside the period of significance, changes should follow the guidance for new construction.
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