Exterior Materials
All building materials are subject to approval. Materials appropriate to and compatible with the region should be selected. Materials with a high quality should be used in all areas with views from the street, pedestrians and adjacent buildings. Durable materials should be used where pedestrian contact is applied. Stucco, cast stone, reclaimed brick, pre-cast concrete panels, and metal wall panels are all acceptable. Materials should be selected and detailed to express and appropriate scale in relation to the building.
Exterior Paving: Paving materials must have low heat gain while still maintaining a low glare appearance. Concrete pavers, tumbled concrete pavers, stained and stamped concrete, and brick pavers are all acceptable. Paving must be extremely durable and made for high traffic exterior usage. Colors are subject to approval. Some standard colors will be required in public areas.
Roofing
Roof design, material and color are subject to review. All roofing materials shall conform to local hurricane regulations. Standing seam metal roofing, including copper and zinc, architectural asphalt shingles, and concrete tiles are all acceptable. Natural metal finishes such as zinc, copper and aluminum are acceptable. Painted metal finishes and asphalt shingles should be in neutral tones. Light colors are preferred to minimize heat gain and provide efficient energy.
Building Facades
Storefront entrance thresholds must be at the sidewalk level for accessibility and safety purposes. Where storefronts face the street, entries should be recessed into storefronts. Special doors such as folding and overhead doors, along with security devices and rolling grilles shall be integrated into the storefront system and shall be concealed behind walls and glazing. Storefronts shall be scaled to break up the larger façade of the building and bring the first level down to human scale. Storefronts may be articulated with signage, decorative elements, canopies, awnings and mullions.
Storefronts should be aligned with one another across the building face, unless there are setbacks for seating. Awnings, canopies and overhead signage are the only elements allowed to protrude out into the sidewalk. Storefront designs shall be inviting, visually interesting and differentiated from adjacent storefronts so as to create variety along the building face.
Signage
Exterior Building Signage: All signs will be subject to review. The design, installation type and required maintenance for all signs must comply with St. Tammany Parish Unified Development Code Section 7.02. All buildings must display their address number. Signage style and material should complement the building design. It should also be consistent in design with gateway and wayfinding signage. Dimensional lettering on standoffs, printed lettering on acrylic sheets, laser-cut lettering on metal are all examples of acceptable signage. Metal finishes such as brushed or satin nickel are recommended. Colored lettering is acceptable bust must be approved. All signs shall be adequately lit to provide nighttime visibility.
Gateway Signage: All signs will be subject to review. The design, installation type and required maintenance for all signs must comply with St. Tammany Parish Unified Development Code Section 7.02. Site signage must be sized and placed for optimum visibility from the street. Materials similar to building materials should be used for the body of the sign. Lettering should be in dimensional letters that are in a contrasting color to the sign background. Letters should also be backlit at night.
Stucco, stone and brick are recommended materials for the structure of the sign. Signage text should be in metal or acrylic dimensional letters. Metal finishes such as brushed or satin nickel are recommended. Colored lettering is acceptable but must be approved. All signs shall be adequately lit to provide nighttime visibility.
Wayfinding Signage: All signs will be subject to review. The design, installation type and required maintenance for all signs must comply with St. Tammany Parish Unified Development Code Section 7.02. All wayfinding signs must be durable, fade resistant, tamper resistant and self-supporting. Metal and acrylic materials are recommended. Metal finishes such as brushed or satin nickel are recommended. Colored materials are acceptable but must be approved. All signs shall be adequately lit to provide nighttime visibility.
Lighting
Building lighting should be energy efficient, tamper resistant and low maintenance. All exterior lighting must comply with St. Tammany Parish Unified Development Code Section 7.03. High pressure sodium and metal halide lights are recommended for their color-corrected light quality. Limited spectral emission type lights, such as low pressure sodium and mercury vapor are prohibited.
Building light fixture finishes shall complement the overall design of the building and surrounding buildings. Fixtures shall be placed to emphasize certain building elements or finishes, or focal points such as entrances. Internal illumination is encouraged.
The same shall apply to site lighting. Site light fixtures shall be consistent throughout the site.