3914 Royal St.

District: Bywater - Full Control

Owner: The Praline Connection Inc

HDLC Staff: Dennis Murphy

Rating: Non-Contributing

Applicant: Mark Berenson

Permit #: 24-37840-HDLC 

HDLC Design Guidelines: 

Section 05, Pages 1 and 4-5 of the Guidelines for Roofing state that metal was popularized for roofing after sheet metal production was expanded following the mid 19th century, and can be found on commercial and industrial buildings, as well as residences and outbuildings. Traditional sheet roofing metals include lead, copper, zinc, tin plate, tern plate and galvanized iron. Many metal roofs require regular painting with traditional colors including silver, grey or green to minimize the potential for corrosion. Not all types of metal roofing are appropriate at all building types and styles. In addition, the installation should not negatively impact a building’s style or detailing. Special attention should be paid to ensure sympathetic edge conditions including eaves, ridges, parapets and flashings. Metal roof colors in New Orleans tend to be natural metal or natural copper, or if a painted finish is desired, colors that are similar to metal, such as silver to grey or muted green. In the region, red metal roofs are more commonly found in agricultural settings and are generally not appropriate within the City. The HDLC Staff provides final approval for metal roofing colors. 

Staff Recommendations: 

The applicant originally requested to replace the current low-sloped bitumen roofing with new R-Panel metal roofing at this Non-Contributing rated commercial warehouse. This work was approved at the staff level with a proviso that the new roofing must be selected with a darker color and less reflective finish (such as Black, Burnished Slate, Cocoa Brown, or Charcoal Grey). Following this approval, the applicant has requested to install a lighter colored metal roof with a higher solar reflectivity (SR) to provide the building with additional energy efficiency. 

The HDLC Guidelines note that metal roofs in New Orleans tend to be natural metal or natural copper, or if a painted finish is desired, colors that are similar to metal, such as silver to grey or black. Additionally, asphalt roof shingle are specifically approved in darker color ranges to replicate the appearance of natural slate, for example.

Metal roof color options with higher SR values are much lighter in appearance and reflect more sunlight, which further distinguishes them and makes them less compatible with existing historic contexts where darker slate or asphalt roof shingles are more prevalent. However, this roof is very low-sloped which reduces its overall visibility from the street, and is primarily only visible at the left side as you approach Bartholomew Street, and only partially visible at the right side through adjacent houses along Alvar Street. Based on these factors, Staff recommends denial of the request for Galvalume finish due to its light color, very high reflectivity, and predisposition for glare, and leaves approval of the Sandstone finish at the discretion of the Commission. 

• Staff Recommendation: Denial of Galvalume finish, and at the discretion of the Commission for Sandstone finish