Page 66 - State College, PA Design Guidelines

06.28.2018 •

Porches and Entry Features

Entries, including porches and stoops, are important character-defining
features of many historic residential buildings in State College. When
oriented to the street, a front entry feature helps to establish a connection
with the neighborhood and a sense of scale at the building front. An entry
should be designed to be in scale with the building and compatible with the
context.
5.10 Where there is precedent for stoops and front porches
in the historic context, incorporate a front porch or
stoop to provide a visual and functional connection
between the building and the street and to clearly
define the primary entrance.

a. Use a front porch to define the entry.
b. Orient a front porch towards the street and sidewalk.

5.11 Design a front porch to be compatible with the

historic context.
a. Proportion a front porch and its key features to be compatible in
Use a front porch or stoop to provide a visual size, height and scale with the building and surrounding historic
and functional connection between the building context.
and the street and to clearly define the primary
entrance. (Top photo - Winnetka, IL; Bottom b. Locate a front porch on a building similarly to those seen in the
photo - Boulder, CO) historic district.

INCORPORATING A PORCH IN NEW CONSTRUCTION
While not every home in State College’s historic districts has a porch or stoop, they are key features on many of
the historic buildings in State College. As such, new construction should incorporate a properly-proportioned
front porch.

PROPERLY PROPORTIONED FRONT PORCH
As illustrated to the right, a
front porch should be properly
proportioned to the building style.

IMPROPERLY PROPORTIONED FRONT PORCH
The porches illustrated to the
right are oversized or undersized
porches and are therefore
inappropriately proportioned for
the building style.

60 STATE COLLEGE, PA • HERITAGE STATE COLLEGE DESIGN GUIDELINES