2242 St. Claude Ave

District: Faubourg Marigny - Full Control

Owner: Good Money Global LLC

HDLC Staff: Dennis Murphy

Rating: Unrated

Applicant: Lynnette Gordon

Permit #: 23-26332-HDLC

Description: New construction of a 4,880 SF two-story commercial building with occupied roof terrace on a vacant lot.

Previous ARC Recommendations:

11/14/23: The ARC voted to defer the application for additional review. The ARC also agreed that:

The overall scale and massing of the building is still too large and there is too much vertical emphasis for it to be compatible with the scale, heights, and proportions of the existing adjacent historic context.
The current strategy of visually breaking the building into three distinct and alternating volumes is less successful than the previous iteration because the taller masses are positioned at the edges of the site where their scale and verticality are read in direct relation to the existing adjacent building’s scale and proportions.
- - For example, the previous one-story massing along the street related better to the adjacent context and the setback at the second floor helped to reduce the visual appearance of its scale and massing from the street.

The ARC recommended the applicant investigate reducing the first-floor FTC height from 12’-0” to 11’-0” and to explore other modifications and details at the front elevation to help bring the door and window openings, canopies, and balconies, etc. into better alignment with the scale and proportion of the adjacent surrounding context.
- - For example, the detailing of window heights, widths, muntins, awnings, and materials can all affect the perception of the building’s scale and massing.

The 2’-0” zone between the first-floor ceiling and second floor could be reduced slightly to help lower the overall scale of the building. For example, necessary interior components such as ductwork can be surface mounted directly to the ceiling.
The applicant should reduce the number of exterior materials and consider how the material palette can be used to help further reduce the scale and verticality of the building.
It may be helpful for the next review to provide a few options or iterations for the ARC to consider which may also help to better illustrate the design process and thinking.

10/17/23: The ARC voted to defer the application for additional review. The ARC also agreed that:

The building footprint at the rear should either be located on the property line or set back a minimum of 3’-0” from the property line.
The use of an oversized or faux-rusticated brick cladding is not considered appropriate for the proposed building based on its contemporary design.
The right-side window should be shifted back on the wall such that the proposed Hardie siding that wraps the corner can terminate to align with the massing at the 2nd floor above.
The applicant should reconsider the proposed planters and awnings, so that they better relate to each other and the overall building, such as by making both a metal material for consistency. The planters and canopies should also be adjusted so that they are contained within the width of the window openings rather than extending further out at the left and right sides.
The applicant should consider installing a parapet wall or other screening at the proposed rear 2nd floor mechanical enclosure as this area may be visible from along Marigny Street.
The overall scale and proportions of the building should be reconsidered and reduced so that it relates better to the heights, datums, and proportions of the immediate surrounding historic context. For example, the applicant should consider extending the door transom horizontally across the façade windows so that their overall scale and height is reduced and so they relate better to the surrounding context.
The context drawing should be reviewed to ensure the existing context and proposed new construction are accurately depicted at-scale in relationship to each other. The applicant should strike datum lines from the existing surrounding context to better relate the overall height of the building, window openings, etc. to its surroundings.