Page 33 - State College, PA Design Guidelines

• 06.28.2018

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IN HISTORIC

DISTRICTS
The Historic and Architectural Review Board (HARB) encourages the
construction of contemporary buildings and additions that do not impair
the integrity of State College’s historic neighborhoods or historic buildings.
Designing a building to fit within the historic character of a neighborhood
requires careful thought. Preservation in a historic district context does not
mean that the area must be “frozen” in time, but it does mean that, when
new building occurs, it should occur in a manner that reinforces the basic
visual characteristics of the district. This does not imply, however, that a new
building must look old.

Rather than imitating older buildings, a new design should relate to the
fundamental characteristics of the historic structures on a block while also
conveying the stylistic trends of today. It may do so by drawing upon basic
physical elements and features of nearby older properties. Such features
include the way in which a building is located on its site and the manner in
which it relates to the street and its basic mass, form, scale and materials.
When these design variables are arranged in a new building to be similar to
those seen traditionally, visual compatibility results.

These basic design relationships are more fundamental than the details of
individual architectural styles and, therefore, it is possible to be compatible
with the historic context while also producing a design that is contemporary.

CHAPTER 2 • HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND PROJECT PLANNING • INFORMATIONAL 27