3401 St Charles Ave

Description: Change of massing and final detail review of previously approved new construction of a 114-unit mixed-use development with ground-floor commercial space fronting St. Charles and Louisiana Avenues.

Previous ARC Recommendations:

10/18/2022: The ARC voted to defer this application for additional review and agreed that:

• The overall design and detailing is improving and the two proposed new constructions are becoming more compatible with the surrounding historic context.

• Additional façade details and elevations (with street trees removed) should be included with the re-submitted materials for the next review.

• St. Charles & Louisiana Avenue Building:

  • The roof-mounted HVAC equipment and elevator/stair overruns appear to be potentially visible from the surrounding public right of way. Additional 3-D perspective views should be included for the next review specifically demonstrating the visibility of these elements from various surrounding locations. The overall height of the elevator/stair overruns should also be reduced as much as possible.

  • The doubled and tripled windows used throughout the building are successful, and the applicant should consider replacing the proposed single window openings at the recessed portion along Louisiana Avenue with paired windows to better integrate this area with the rest of the building and to increase the overall ratio of window to wall.

  • The applicant should consider alternative cladding materials for the recessed portion along Louisiana Avenue, such as metal panels instead of the proposed stucco and this area should be more clearly included in the 3-D perspective views submitted for the next review.

  • The applicant should consider treating the central first-floor massing along Louisiana Avenue similarly to the recessed exterior wall beyond to better integrate it with the overall building detailing and material selections.

  • The applicant should consider paired entry doors at the first-floor retail spaces along Louisiana Avenue to create more connectivity with the streetscape.

• Delachaise & Carondelet Street Building:

  • While the proposed change from masonry to timber construction and detailing does reduce the perception of the site being a single complex or campus, the overall detailing appears too busy. This district has many successful examples nearby of masonry and stucco buildings, and the applicant should consider a more appropriate exterior material, such as stucco as an alternative.

  • The applicant should consider simplifying or reducing the overall amount of exterior ornamental elements, for example:

    • • The extended eave is not successful and should be pulled back closer to the building wall such that it is a more restrained element of the façade.

      • The additional wood trim on the building fascia should be removed.

      • The awning directly below the extended eave is unnecessary and the applicant should consider removing it or redesigning it as a covered balcony if additional weather and shade protection is desired at this area.

      • The width of the first-floor columns should be reduced by about 4” to 6”.

      • The double columns and double newel posts at the second and third floors should be eliminated.

      • The proposed change in siding directions at the second and third floors is successful, but the trim boards between these areas appears too thick and should be reduced.

      • The proposed lintel-type window trim is not appropriate as this is not a masonry building and should be removed.

      • The proposed Dutch-gable roof form is not successful and should be reconsidered.

  • The use of Hardie and Miratec exterior building trim can be problematic from an installation and long-term durability perspective and is only permitted on new construction projects provided they are installed with strict adherence to the manufacturer’s instructions. Window drip edges and sills, as well as column and beam wraps must be wood. The use of Hardie or Miratec trim at these specific locations cannot be approved by Staff and will require additional ARC or Commission approval.

08/17/2021: The ARC voted to recommend conceptual approval with the details to be worked out at the ARC level. The ARC agreed that the proposed open green space and landscaping was an improvement in the right direction for the treatment of the Louisiana Avenue side and addresses the previous ARC concerns. The ARC also agreed that:

• Renderings of the proposed perimeter treatment taken at eye-level should be provided so the ARC can better understand how a pedestrian would experience it.

• The building elevations are moving in the right direction, but more details should be provided of the façade, spandrels, canopies, ground floor openings, storefronts and all other elements that will be part of the streetscape.

• The proposed stucco cladding at the penthouses appears generic and the penthouses should be reconsidered so they are less visible and such that the five-story building appears to be a four-story building from the surrounding streets.

02/23/2021: The ARC voted to recommend conceptual approval of the proposed massing with the details to be worked out at the ARC level and the provisos that an approximately 40’ by 40’ ground-floor garden space be included and that if the BZA height waiver is denied then the project will return for additional ARC review of the massing. The ARC agreed that the previous recommendations that have been incorporated into the design are positive improvements. The ARC also agreed that:

• The proposed footprint fills out the site with building and parking and appears monolithic from the surrounding streets without the interplay of public and garden spaces typical of large scale buildings found along St. Charles Avenue. The ARC reiterated that there should be more green space on the block and the proposed perimeter treatment was not sufficient.

• The ARC recommended including an area approximately 40’ by 40’ at the ground level for exterior garden space that steps up at the rear to a more private area. The garden space should be visually accessible from the sidewalk but does not need to be physically accessible.

• Images of the previous historic retail condition at the sidewalk along Louisiana Avenue could be helpful for further discussion.

01/19/2021: The ARC voted to defer this application for additional review and agreed that:

• The building type des not correspond with large scale residential buildings found along St. Charles Ave. Large scale buildings are typically U-shaped with ground level open space fronting the Avenue. This is exemplified by the building at the corner of St. Charles Ave and Toledano St.

• Add canopies above the transom level at all storefront conditions.

• Consider recessing the single story portions of the building along Louisiana Avenue to allow for publically accessible open space that could be used for exterior seating for the adjacent commercial uses.

• The architectural language of the 4 story portion of the building is more successful than that of the 5 story portion. In particular, the openings at the 5th floor are too close to the cornice. Consider setting back the 5Th floor so that the building reads as a 4 story building.

• The large scale arches are not appropriate outside of the Central Business District.

• Additionally, the ARC advised consulting with the Board of Zoning Adjustments to ensure that the two reviews are moving forward in a mutually beneficial manner.

12/15/2020: The ARC voted to defer this application for additional review and agreed that the mass of Building B is out of scale with the immediate context. The ARC made the following recommendations that may help minimize the visual bulk of the structure:

• The single-story elements with roof terraces should be redesigned as courtyards at ground level.

• Extend the building mass down St. Charles to better obscure the parking area.

• 5 stories is an appropriate scale for the St Charles Ave frontage, but the building should step down as it moves away from the corner of St Charles and Louisiana Avenues.

• Consider stepping the top floor back from the building edge to reduce the perceptible building height.

• Reintroduce the depth and texture of the building exterior walls that is present in the original hand drawn renderings.

Previous Commission Actions:

11/03/2021: The Commission voted to approve the application for demolition to grade of 1631 Delachaise Street and to grant conceptual approval of the proposed new construction with the final details to be reviewed again by the ARC.

10/06/2021: The Commission voted to defer action on this application until the next Commission meeting so that the applicant can schedule an HDLC interior/exterior inspection at 1631 Delachaise Street.

Context Photos:

Current Drawings:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 10/18/2022:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 08/17/2021:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 02/23/2021:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 01/19/2021:

Previously Reviewed Drawings - 12/15/2020:

Street View: