ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NORTHEAST PROVINCE
SITING
Select from limited building sites because of topography and regulations to protect the landscape character.
Orient and cluster rural buildings toward and
near roadways rather than lined up along a
road. (Figure of building structures oriented toward roads and staggered at varying distances.) When practical, cluster buildings around a common site, as seen in a village green or
town center. (Figure showing village buildings clustered around a common site)
Tuck buildings into the edges of clearings and at changes in grade. (Figure showing buildings tucked into the vegetation on the edge of a clearing and figure from the Allegheny region of sun exposure and circulation of air around roof.)
Design buildings to step down grades rather than leveling site. (Figure of three buildings sited on stepped down grades preserving the natural landform.)
Design roads to be site sensitive. They should
follow contours of the land like a river weaving
through landscape.
Landscape the site for snow storage.
Berm the back wall of buildings into slopes.
Visually screen structures by planting banks
of native vegetation.
Detach outdoor space from the building with
gardens or plazas (no attached decks). (Figure of outdoor shaded patio space detached from main structure.)
MASSING AND SCALE
Simplify, simplify. Henry David Thoreau
Break functions into smaller building wings as
opposed to using one big building. (Figure of large single structure broken into several smaller forms.)
Make buildings appear to have grown organically through additions over time. (Figure of large simple building with similar small building attached.)
Design rectangular buildings, as in barns or
saltbox houses.
Use traditional building heights from one and a half to two stories that remain well suited for tight, restricted sites.
Use narrow, horizontal siding and small, punched
window openings to reduce the apparent mass
of a building.
Do not design rambling, irregular Victorian or Queen Anne-style building volumes. (Example of building of complicated irregular forms)
Include small porches.
Make the chimneys visible on the gable side.
Match larger buildings in scale to a larger backdrop. (Figures of the buildings mass in relation to its surroundings: One story building in landscape of short vegetation and moderate hills and a three story building in landscape of tall vegetation and steeper hills.)
RTHEAST
BASE
Bases are both functional and symbolic. They
suggest permanence and solidity when expressed
and celebrated using solid, textured materials.
A weathering base creates a platform that
protects the rest of the building from frost,
mud, and snow.
Sink the base below the frost line.
Use traditional, random-pattern stone bases.
Select stones that match local stones.
Lay stone in patterns that mimic local geology.
Create textures with synthetic materials by
coloring concrete or using split-face stone.
WALLS
Walls are the primary elements of architecture in
this province. Wall materials are usually wood in
horizontal patterns. Suitable
materials include:
Clapboards.
Weathered shingles painted white
or red.
Vertical corner-boards painted in
contrasting colors.
WINDOWS AND OPENINGS
Windows are typically small, double-hung, and
divided (traditionally up to 12 panes over 12 panes).
Arrange windows for symmetry.
Avoid strip windows in horizontal bands.
Use lintels, sills, and pediments for ornamental
purposes.
Use single doors instead of double doors.
Use porches for public entries to buildings.
Use simple entries for nonpublic buildings.
Include air locks or vestibules.
ROOFS
Design roof pitch to ranges from 6:12 to 12:12
Use gable shape instead of a flat or shed style
(unless shed extends from main building).
Include slate, shingle, simulated shingle, or
metal material.
Reduce ice damage with a minimal (if any)
overhang.
Include gutters to keep walls dry.
Use thin eaves and bargeboards.
Integrate cupola for venting.
Avoid exposed rafter tails for maintenance
reasons.
Make gables and sheds simple and uncluttered.
Include snow and ice guards on metal roofs
where snow dump is an issue.
STRUCTURE
Buildings of this province do not typically include
heavily expressed or exposed structural members.
Rustic, CCC-inspired buildings are suitable for
picnic and cabin structures in remote areas,
but they are out of character in settings
classified as developed on the ROS.
Avoid exposed structure on exterior;
Include some exposed timber framing
on the interior.
Typical roof elements include:
Gable roof
Cupola for roof venting
Simple gable dormers
Minimal overhang
Narrow fascia board
(no exposed rafters)
Use Simple porch entries such as gable porch and shed porch.
NHEAST
MATERIALS
Use durable, natural, local materials such as
stone, wood, and clapboard. Alternatives
include textured, colored concrete block.
Use metal or vinyl siding for low-maintenance
utilitarian buildings.
Avoid:
Stucco or synthetic stucco.
Asphalt-shingle siding.
Glass curtain wall.
Metal buildings in public areas.
High-tech looking, sleek, or
smooth materials.
Mediterranean tile.
Suitable site materials include:
Crushed granite.
Granite curbs.
Stamped concrete for walkways.
Concrete pavers (tumbled block
to add texture and look rustic).
Waste quarry stone.
Appropriate roof materials include:
Wood, slate, fiber-cement, or composition shingles, and seamed metal
COLOR
Take cues from the setting, emphasizing blues,
grays, and browns. Follow the ROS guidelines:
Naturally weathering materials and earth tones
with no accents in primitive or semi-primitive settings.
Naturally weathering materials and earth tones
with limited accents drawn from nature in roaded natural settings.
White, red, gray, and naturally weathering
materials in rural settings.
Warm earth tones with a wide range of accents
in rural settings.
Other Guidelines:
Contrast colors in detail areas such as
windows and doors. For example, use dark
trim with a light wall and light trim with a
dark wall.
Paint porch ceilings using historical colors,
such as robins egg or sky blue.