3.2 Attachment 10TOV1'N OF LOS GATOS
HILLSIDE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
V• ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
A. Design objectives.
The standards and guidelines in this section are intended to encourage architectural design that
is:
1. in harmony and visually blends with the natural environment,
2. responsive to site constraints and opportunities,
3. compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and respectful of neighbors, and
4. respectful of the rural character of the hillsides.
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Building form reflects hillside form/setting
ATTACHMENT 1 0
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B. Design to be neighbor friendly.
Protecting the privacy of neighboring homes is a high priority in the siting and design of a new
house or addition. The following design standards shall be followed to the greatest extent
feasible to ensure privacy to surrounding neighbors.
Standards:
1. Privacy impacts shall be addressed and resolved during the constraints analysis phase and
initial design stage, not with mitigation measures imposed as an afterthought. Sight lines
shall be studied so that windows and outdoor areas are placed to maintain privacy.
Guidelines:
1. The following design guidelines should be implemented to the greatest degree feasible
where privacy impacts are of concern;
a. Minimize second -story windows facing close neighboring properties.
b. Orient upper Floor windows, decks, and balconies to avoid impacting the privacy of
neighbors.
c. Incorporate screening measures (e.g., solid railing walls, lattice work, or planters) to
obscure lines of sight to neighboring properties.
d. Limit the size of decks and balconies to six feet in depth in areas where privacy is a
concern. This will limit their use to passive activities.
e. Use landscaping to screen views to your neighbor=s living areas most sensitive to
privacy. Use evergreen trees and shrubs to provide year-round privacy.
f. Existing vegetation that protects privacy should not be removed.
g. Screen and control noise sources such as parking, outdoor activities, and mechanical
equipment (e.g., air conditioning and pool equipment).
h. Locate outdoor activity areas adjacent to neighbors= outdoor activity areas rather
than in close proximity to their quiet areas (bedrooms).
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C. Design for sustainability.
Sustainability and the conservation of natural resources are important issues to Los Gatos
residents. Sustainability refers to the use of natural resources in a manner that insures their
continued availability to future generations.
The term "green building" is often used to relate sustainability to development. Green building
addresses a broad range of techniques to reduce the consumption of natural resources during
construction and over the lifetime of a home. These include designing structures to be energy
water efficient, utilizing building materials that reduce resource consumption and improve
indoor air quality, and taking maximum advantage of renewable energy resources. Refer to
Appendix B for additional information on green building.
Appendix B, Green Building Strategies and Materials, contains design strategies that maximize
the use of renewable energy resources for heating, cooling and lighting, additional strategies
that conserve energy and water, a list of building materials that reduce the consumption of
nonrenewable resources and improve air quality, and a list of various sources for "green
building" information and their web sites.
The following design guidelines are aimed at maximizing energy efficiency and reducing
consumption of resources.
Standards: None.
Guidelines:
1. The design of each house should show evidence to the satisfaction of the deciding body
that a significant effort has been made towards incorporating energy -conservation and
water saving techniques above and beyond the minimum requirements of Title 24.
2. All homes over 3,500 square feet should incorporate a variety of green building
strategies and materials (see Appendix B). Homes less than 3,500 square feet are also
encouraged to incorporate additional energy and resource saving features.
3. Homes should be designed and located to take maximum advantage of passive solar
heating (space and water), natural cooling and lighting. Houses should be designed to
maximize the benefits of sun and wind as follows:
a. Orient the house and arrange doors and windows to take advantage of prevailing
summer winds for natural ventilation and cooling (also see Appendix B).
b. Orient the house and the most used living areas to take advantage of passive solar
heating. Orient the house on an east -west access and locate the most used living
areas and the majority of windows on the south side (also see appendix B). 583
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c. Landscaping should be used to control exposure to sun and wind (Refer to Chapter
VI, Section B, Landscape Design Concepts for ways to meet this guideline.).
Shading and solar access should be balanced when both heating and cooling is
needed.
Where protection from summer sun is needed, tall spreading deciduous trees
should be planted to the south, east and west sides of pavement and
buildings. Trees should be placed so they do not block winter sun.
Where protection from winter wind is needed, plant dense evergreen trees
and/or shrubs in random discontinuous groups. A distance of four to five
times the ultimate height of the plants is recommended to allow light to
penetrate into the home.
4. Selection of building materials that reduce the consumption of natural resources and are
non-toxic is strongly encouraged. This includes, but is not limited to, salvaged or reused
materials and products made from recycled materials (also see Appendix B).
D. Design for fire safety.
A home that is located, designed and maintained for fire safety will not only protect the
individual homeowner, but will reduce the chance for a home fire to become a wildfire.
Conversely, in the case of a wildfire, the home will have a better chance of surviving and may
help limit a fires spread. See Chapter III, section D for guidance in choosing a building site to
minimize exposure to potential wildfires. See Chapter VII, section A for guidance on how to
landscape and maintain a site with fire safety in mind.
The following standards are intended to maximize protection from wildfires: Chapter n
section C
Standards:
1. Structures shall be designed to maximize protection from wildfires.
2. Roofs shall have a Class A covering or a Class A roof assembly.
3. Eaves and soffits shall be protected on the exposed underside with noncombustible
material or by materials approved for a minimum one-hour rated fire resistive
construction.
4. Gutters and downspouts shall be constructed of noncombustible material.
5. Exterior walls shall be constructed with noncombustible materials on the exterior side or
materials approved for a minimum one-hour rated fire resistive construction.
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6. Under floor areas and areas below decks shall be enclosed to the ground with
noncombustible materials or with materials approved for a minimum one-hour rated fire
resistive construction.
7. Attic and under floor vents shall be covered with corrosion -resistant mesh not to exceed
1/a -inch,
8. Automatic fire sprinklers shall be installed in accordance with National and Fire
Department Standards.
9. Roof skylights shall be tempered or have multi -layered glazing.
Guidelines:
E.
1. Exterior windows should be tempered glass.
2. The size and number of windows on the side of the house that would likely be exposed
to a fire approaching from the downhill side should be minimized.
3. Roof eaves should be designed with minimal overhang to prevent entrapment of heat
and flames.
Refer to
Building height. chapter r,
section C
Standards:
1. The maximum allowed height for homes in hillside areas shall be 25 feet. Building
height shall be measured in compliance with provisions of the Town's Zoning Ordinance.
2. The maximum height of
a building=s tallest
elevation shall not
exceed 35 feet measured
from the lowest part of
the building to the
highest part, except
buildings extending
above a ridgeline or that
are visible from a viewing
platform where the
maximum height from
the lowest to highest
points shall not exceed
28 feet.
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3. Ridgeline and visible homes shall not extend more than 18 feet above the existing
grade.
4. The height of the lowest finished floor(s) of a structure, excluding cellars, shall not be
more than four feet above the existing grade to ensure that buildings follow slopes.
5. Three-story elevations are prohibited.
Guidelines: None.
F. Minimize building bulk and mass
One of the primary concerns of Los Gatos residents is that some new houses in the hillsides
appear overly large and bulky, resulting in high visibility from surrounding properties and the
valley floor. The design standards and guidelines in this section address this issue.
Standards:
1. Buildings shall be designed to minimize bulk, mass and volume so as not to be
prominently visible from a distance or from surrounding properties.
2. Buildings snall be designed to conform to the natural topography of the site and run
with the contours. Blending with the existing terrain reduces the appearance of bulk.
REP
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Do this
Building is parallel with the contours.
Guidelines:
Don't do this
Building is perpendicular to the contours
1. The building design should incorporate but not be limited to, the following techniques to
effectively reduce the appearance of mass, bulk and volume:
a. Keep building forms simple.
b. Avoid architectural styles that are inherently viewed as massive and bulky.
Don't do this
Don't do this
c. Minimize square footage.
d. Minimize volume; avoid large volume buildings.
e. Avoid overhanging decks, large staircases and patios formed by retaining walls that
make buildings appear more massive. Avoid use of balustrades and solid wall
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railings that add to the mass of the design. (Revised 1/22/05 by Council Resolution
2005-11)
f. Step the building foundation and roofs with the natural slope.
g. Use horizontal and vertical building components to reduce bulk. Avoid two story wall
planes.
h. Create light and shadow by providing modest overhangs, projections, alcoves, and
plane offsets, and varying elevations such as stepping second stories.
i. Vary elevations, such as stepping back second stories, to conform with topography.
k. Excavate or use below -grade rooms to reduce effective bulk. The visual area of the
building can be minimized through a combined use of grading and landscaping
techniques.
I. Use vaulted ceilings rather than high walls and ceilings with attics above to achieve a
feeling of volume.
m. Second stories should be stepped back so the difference in wall planes is visible from
a distance. (Revised 1,.22'05 by Council Resolution 1005-11)
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G. Roofs.
Standards:
1. Roof forms and rooflines shall be broken into smaller building components to reflect the
irregular forms of surrounding natural features.
2. The slope of the main roof shall generally be oriented in the same direction as the
natural slope of the terrain.
Do this
Guidelines:
1. Large gable ends on downhill elevations should be avoided.
Don't do this
Roof forms are kept small and reflect the surrounding topography
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HILLSIDE DE%ELOPMEN1STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
H. Architectural elements.
Standards:
1. Exterior structural supports and undersides of floors and decks not enclosed by walls are
prohibited unless it is proven that no alternative type of construction is feasible and that
fire safety and aesthetic considerations have been adequately addressed (also see
Chapter III section D.2).
Don't do this
2. Skylight glazing material shall be selected to reduce glare at night. Large skylights with
dome -style glazing should be avoided.
3. Architectural detailing shall be provided on all sides of the building. Elements of the
architectural treatment used on the front facade shall be repeated on all sides of the
building.
Guidelines:
I. The use of large windows and glass doors should be kept to the minimum to reduce the
daytime glare and nighttime lighting emanating from large glazed areas, and to increase
heating and cooling efficiency. Of particular concern is glare that impacts neighboring
properties and is visible from the valley floor (also see Chapter V section I.).
2. The use of architectural features that increase visual prominence should be avoided.
Massive, tall elements, such as two-story entries, turrets, and large chimneys should be
avoided. Such elements on the downhill facade of the house is of particular concern.
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Do this
1. Materials and colors.
Standards:
Dont do this
1. The contrast between manmade buildings and the environment shall be minimized. A
buildings color and materials shall complement and blend with the predominant colors
and values of the surrounding natural environment.
2. Exterior material colors for homes, with the
exception of homes with anv elevation that is more than 2-5 24.5% percent visible from
the viewing platforms, may use color averaging of all exterior materials to meet the
maximum light light reflectivi�value of 30of 30 and shall blend with the natural vegetation. Roof
materials shall be calculated seaarately and shall not exceed a light
reflectivity value of 30.
3. Roofs shall be a dark earth tone color with a variety of shades of that color that blend
with the environment.
4. Exposed metal surfaces shall be painted to compliment adjacent materials, be anodized
a dark color, or have the ability to develop a patina (e.g., copper).
5. Mirror-like window tinting is prohibited.
6. Contrasting color accents shall be kept to a minimum.
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Guidelines:
"',
1. A variety of materials, textures, and architectural details compatible with the design
theme of the house should be used to add interest and to mitigate the visual impact of
large wall areas. Natural materials such as wood and stone will help soften the
appearance of stucco and blend it with the natural setting. (Revised 2/22/05 by Council
Reso/utlon 2005-11)
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