600 Baronne St.

Description: Renovation of a Contributing rated, three-story, commercial building including changes to the corner building entry, additional windows at the Lafayette St side, and third- floor roof enclosure at the rear of the property. 

HDLC Design Guidelines: 

Section 8, Pages 3, 7-9 and 20 of the Guidelines for Windows and Doors state that the arrangement, size, proportions, patterns and configurations of window and door openings are key components of a building’s style and character. Since all of the components and details of a window are essential to defining the construction period and style, the pattern and configuration of proposed replacement windows should be historically appropriate for each building. As a result, the modification of or addition of window and door openings, particularly on more prominent building façades, is discouraged. This includes the infill of all or part of an opening to make it smaller or to visually remove it. It also includes increasing the size of a door opening to provide a larger opening for a display window, garage or other use. When considering a replacement window, every effort should be made to match the original size, shape, configuration, type, operation, materials, muntin pattern, dimensions, profiles and detailing to the greatest extent possible, in addition to retaining or duplicating the historic decorative wood trim.

Section 12, Pages 14-19 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition state that except for camelbacks, most residential additions expand the footprint of an existing building by constructing more space at the rear or side of an existing building. If appropriately designed, additions to existing buildings can provide increased space while maintaining the historic character of the original building and streetscape. In conformance with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, an addition to a historic building should be subordinate to the historic building and read clearly as an addition. The subordinate appearance of an addition can be achieved through its scale, form, massing, materials and details. Additions to existing properties should not obscure, damage, or destroy significant architectural material and should be compatible with the design of the property, as well as the neighborhood. Whenever possible, additions should be constructed in a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the existing building would be intact. When constructing additions to existing buildings, property owners are encouraged to consider the integrity of the existing building and its historic significance. Similar to the principles for new construction, additions should not duplicate historic building details, but should be visually compatible. The HDLC also requires:

• The preservation of the cohesive ambiance of historic buildings and neighborhoods with compatible, sympathetic construction.

• Compatible siting, proportion, scale, form, materials, fenestration, roof configuration, details and finishes at all additions.

• Construction of additions at secondary elevations wherever possible, subordinate to the historic building, and compatible with the design of the property and surrounding neighborhood.

• Construction of additions so that historic building fabric is not radically changed, obscured, damaged, or destroyed.

ARC & Staff Recommendations: 

04/19/24: The ARC voted to recommend conceptual approval with the final details to be worked out at the Staff level. The ARC also agreed that:

• In general, the proposed storefront changes and door relocation appear to be appropriate in the absence of historic documentation of the original condition.  

  • • The height of the corner entry and storefront windows could be reduced so that there is better alignment with the garage door and window openings along Lafayette Street. 

    • The storefront transoms are quite tall, the mullion division is making them appear too horizontally oriented, and the proportions should be further studied.

• The column and pilasters appear too large and are out of scale with the building and storefront, and the applicant should consider carrying down the width of the window muntin above as a reference.

• The proposed new window openings along Lafayette Street look appropriate and may have been present at these locations previously. 

• The proposed rear 3rd floor addition appears to be appropriate but should be adjusted slightly so that there is more distinction between it and the existing historic building:

• The street wall of the addition should be recessed further back from the plane of the original building so there is more of a visual break between the two. The ARC recommended setting it back to the line of railing on the floor above.

• The architectural language, detailing, and materials of the addition should be reconsidered so that they are differentiated further from the existing building.

• More glass could be introduced at this area, and the proposed windows do not need to replicate the existing building’s historic windows. 

• The stucco banding above the windows should be eliminated or reconsidered, for example, such as simple lintels above each opening.

• A rear building elevation and an existing Lafayette Street side elevation should be included with the resubmitted materials for the final HDLC Staff review.

• Staff Recommendation: Approval

Context Photos:

Current Drawings:

Sanborn Maps:

Street View: