AgdaPkt 2013-11-18 Special - Laserfiche WebLink

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AAC $�A. - Page 10 ise of contemporary architecture the AAC agreed with the overall design approach, Response specifically regarding the building's top fa�ade composition.A recommendation was made to use additional glazing on the cap feature to help "lighten up"the top fa�ade of the building if possible. general A lively, dynamic pedestrian The Bradford frontage The AAC review focused zone at street level. consists of the Leasing on the street level fa�ade office, SMCU retail treatments along those frontage,and entry lobby portions of Bradford and to the Bradford tower. Middlefield to ensure that The northernmost fa�ade the intent of the DTPP is on Middlefield consists of achieved in creating 144'of the SMCU dynamic pedestrian frontage. environments.The AAC recommended that the Project design incorporate slight changes to the fa�ade.These revisions have been included in the July 31 Project Plans. AAC The ground floor/building base could benefit from additional horizontal organization, see building Response base composition comment above (vertical organization responds well to the middle of the buildingJ. 2J.4.C.2.c 9z Towers should have no floor The three tower elements See Staff Response below. with a gross floor area greater (floors 9 and 10 on the than 7,000 square feet. three buildings) each have floor plates of approximately 17,101 square feet Staff The AAC did not specifically focus on this guideline as it was not called out in the AAC staff report,• Response however, the AAC did review the three buildings and the tower elements, including their floor plates, in the overall context of the project. As referenced above, the AAC directed their comments to the composition of the top fa�ade for the three tower elements. This project uses a combination of disposition types as discussed on page 90 of the Downtown Precise Plan. Floors 1 through 8 use a Rearyard Disposition Type, while floors 9 and 10 use the Tower Disposition Type. According to the Downtown Precise Plan "the Tower disposition type is intended to create slender buildings which maximize access to light and view and minimize shadows and the visual bulk of the structure." Given the project's design with a three building configuration and the AAC recommendation to lighten up the top fa�ade, along with the use of combination of disposition types staff's opinion is the project maintains a well-proportioned building mass that maximizes light and views. Furthermore, the project site represents the entire block, with the exception of the Veterans frontage, thus the tower elements will not create a shadow or visual bulk impairment on any neighboring building. Lastly, reducing the floor plates on floors 9 and 10 creates a challenge for site circulation and exiting requirements. Consequently, staff is recommending allowing the tower floor plates as designed. Page 10