Single Family Home Design Techniques

City of Sunnyvale SINGLE FAMILY HOME DESIGN TECHNIQUES Adopted January 2003 City of Sunnyvale TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 APPLICABILITY ..........................................SFD 1 1.2 PURPOSE ..............................................SFD 1 1.3 ORGANIZATION .........................................SFD 1 1.4 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS ...............................SFD 2 2. COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS 2.1 NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERNS .....................................SFD 3 2.2 BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES .......................................SFD 7 2.3 REVIEW CRITERIA ...............................................SFD 8 3. DESIGN TECHNIQUES 3.1 NEIGHBORHOOD PATTERNS ...............................SFD 9 3.2 PARKING ...............................................SFD 10 3.3 ENTRIES ................................................SFD 12 3.4 SECOND FLOORS ........................................SFD 13 3.5 ROOFS ................................................SFD 17 3.6 PRIVACY AND SOLAR ACCESS ..............................SFD 18 3.7 MATERIALS .............................................SFD 20 3.8 WINDOWS AND DOORS ..................................SFD 21 3.9 DECORATIVE ELEMENTS ...................................SFD 23 3.10 ACCESSORY STRUCTURES ................................SFD 25 3.11 LANDSCAPING .........................................SFD 25 4. EXAMPLES 4.1 COMMON PROBLEMS ....................................SFD 27 4.2 SUCCESSFUL INFILL EXAMPLES .............................SFD 29 5. GLOSSARY ...............................................SFD 30 Single Family Design Guidelines SFD iii City of Sunnyvale This page has been intentionally left blank. ivSFD iv Single Family Design Guidelines City of Sunnyvale 1. INTRODUCTION The design techniques contained in this document are 1.3 ORGANIZATION set forth to assist property owners, developers and city Section 1: Introduction - discusses the applicability of staff in working together to retain and enhance the spe- the design techniques and summarizes their purpose. cial qualities of Sunnyvale’s varied neighborhoods. They - provides an have been developed from an examination of the existing Section 2: Community Expectations overview of typical Sunnyvale neighborhoods, and sets conditions within the city, and from recognized sound site forth basic planning and design principles underlying planning and design practices. the techniques. The Basic Design Principles represent 1.1 APPLICABILITY an expression of overall intent, and will be used in de- The techniques apply to: termining planning and design suitability in the absence • All new single family homes of techniques which might address specific conditions. • One and two story additions to single family homes This section also sets forth parameters for application review and approval. They are in addition to and subordinate to the zoning regulations applicable to the parcel on which the home sits. Section 3: Design Techniques - contains techniques that apply to site layout, general building form and other 1.2 PURPOSE elements that affect the impact of new residential devel- These techniques are intended to accomplish the fol- opment and additions to existing homes in the adjoining lowing: neighborhood. • Provide guidance for property owners and their design profes- sionals in planning and designing new single family homes, or Sections 4: Examples - addresses common problems, in expanding their existing homes. and shows examples of successful infill development. • Promote increased property values through residential renova- Sections 5: Glossary - contains narrative and graphic tions and expansions which are attractive and encourage other explanations of terms used in this document. neighborhood upgrades. • Protect property owner liveability and investments by discourag- ing inappropriate and out of scale adjacent homes. • Maintain a sense of neighborhood by encouraging new development that is compatible in scale and character with existing housing. • Encourage thoughtful planning and design that respects the privacy of neighbors. • Streamline the development review and approval process by more clearly communicating community expectations to property owners and developers. Single Family Design Guidelines SFD 1 City of Sunnyvale 1.4 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS The submittal of accurate and complete drawings, along with adequate photographs of the site and surrounding neighborhood, is extremely important to the understand- ing of the applicant’s proposal and intent. Inaccurate and incomplete materials will invariably lead to delays in the review and approval process. The minimum submittal requirements are outlined on the following page. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS 1. Application from property owner 2. Two sets of accurate and scaled architectural drawings to include: A. Site Plan - fully dimensioned . B Floor Plans - existing, if remodel application . C Floor Plans - new . D All building elevations E. Building sections . F Typical building details affecting exterior appearance (e.g., window sills and jambs) . G Roof Plan (existing and proposed) 3. Project Data (include on site plan) A. Existing floor area, including garage . B Proposed new or addition, broken down by first and second floor areas . C Total proposed floor area, including covered porches and patios . D Existing and proposed lot coverage E. Existing and proposed Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 4. Solar analysis drawing for second stories 5. Proposed materials called out on elevations or on a color and materials board 6. Elevation photographs of all other homes along both sides of the parcel’s block face keyed to an Assessor’s Parcel Map 7. Composite to-scale drawing of proposed front elevation and those of the existing homes on either side. 8. Photographs from the parcel taken in the direc- tion of immediately adjacent homes to the side and rear of the parcel. Note: Items underlined and in bold are not currently required, but are recommended for addition to allow more informed staff review of proposals. SFD 2 Single Family Design Guidelines City of Sunnyvale 2. COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS The review and approval of additions to existing homes The design principles that are set forth in this sec- and new homes involves a balancing of the concerns tion and the design techniques that follow are intended and interests of the applicant with those of surrounding to allow flexibility and diversity in the development of neighbors who have invested in their homes over the improvements on individual lots while respecting the years and developed understandable attachments to the unique scale and bulk of the surrounding neighborhood. visual qualities of their surroundings. The review process Specifically, the community expects to see new develop- seeks to accommodate the applicants’ unique needs while ment respect the scale of their neighbors along both sides ensuring that the special qualities of the neighborhood of their block fronts, and avoid conditions where new are respected. development overwhelms nearby homes. Increasingly, larger homes, constructed new or achieved The photographs on the following pages provide ex- through remodelings and additions, are becoming the amples of Sunnyvale’s rich residential diversity and show norm in Bay Area communities. Many are located in older examples of some of the features that contribute to neighborhoods which were developed at a time when their scale and architectural character. Applicants should smaller homes were common and styles were more mod- familiarize themselves with these examples and look for est in their outward appearance. The City of Sunnyvale similar features in their neighborhoods to guide them in believes that larger homes are a natural transition that can the preparation of site plans and architectural designs. be accommodated, but that they should not be allowed These features need not necessarily be copied in the to overwhelm their neighbors. new home design, but should be respected to avoid new This section seeks to assist applicants in seeing the construction that detracts from the neighborhood. Fea- community with fresh and informed eyes, and in un- tures that are often consistent within a neighborhood derstanding some of the architectural elements that are include the following: important in determining the unique character and scale • Front yard setbacks, fencing and landscaping of individual neighborhoods. It sets forth the Basic De- sign Principles on which the techniques are based, and • Garage location, size and treatment outlines the criteria that will be emphasized in reviewing • Roof types, orientation, slopes, eave heights, and overhangs individual applications. • Second floor size and placement In applying the various design techniques described in • Entry treatment and scale these guidelines, judgement may be exercised to resolve design challenges to assure that the overall principles • Exterior wall complexity are met. • Window types, size and proportions • Exterior building materials 2.1 NEIGHBORHOODS PATTERNS • Decorative elements Neighborhoods are often not uniform in scale and texture, but generally recognizable by a preponderance of a similar architectural style, site plan layout or home size. The City of Sunnyvale has a wide variety of neighborhood patterns and architectural styles developed over many decades - often in relatively large groupings of similar homes developed as a part of subdivisions of their day. Yet, overall there is a sense of small scale and relative informality that is common to most neighbor-

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