Architectural Design Guidelines
[Note: Pictures and Illustrations Referenced Herein Are Available in the Management Office]
Statement of Intent
The purpose of these guidelines is to illustrate designs and elements that fulfill the appropriate character of Glen Riddle and create a neighborhood where each home is designed and sited such that compatibility and quality are maintained along each streetscape.
Design Guidelines are provided to assist homeowners, architects, and builders in understanding the comprehensive level of planning, design, and implementation that is required for design approval.
To this point, Appendix 1 of the guidelines includes pictures of existing Glen Riddle houses as examples illustrating the types of appropriate house designs and design elements.
The Design Guidelines are a MINIMUM standard for new homes, improvements, and additions proposed within the Glen Riddle community.
Overview of Design Requirements
- The house plan must have an emphasis on outdoor living.
- Porches are strongly encouraged. They must have a minimum depth of six (6) feet.
- The floor to ceiling heights must be a minimum of 9’ on the first floor.
- The design should be informal, yet disciplined, and carefully detailed.
- “Unbroken” two-story exterior entry features are prohibited.
- Single story “ranch style” designs are prohibited.
- “Victorian” style detailing is prohibited.
- The use of masonry is discouraged except on porches, foundations, and piers.
- Cupolas and Widows Walks are encouraged but not required.
- Driveways and walkway materials should be either asphalt, brushed concrete, stamped concrete, or brick pavers.
- Landscaping treatments, color, and textures should blend naturally with the property’s existing landscape of grasses, ground cover, and trees.
- Single-family detached homes are required to have one approved decorative post light, operated by a photocell and placed in an approved location in the front of the house.
- All single-family detached homes must have a minimum conditioned square footage of 2,650 sq. ft. not including the garage.
- No two adjacent, diagonal, or opposite dwelling units may contain the same color scheme or exact elevation.
**NOTE: Plans must be submitted for review and approval by the Architectural Control Committee, for new construction and for modifications to existing homes prior to the start of construction. **
Coastal/Low Country Residential Style Characteristics
• Emphasis upon outdoor living.
• The main entrance on the front elevation should have a covered porch or stoop of not less than six (6) feet in depth.
• Metal porch roofs are preferred.
• Covered front porches may wrap around to the side elevation.
• Two or three-story stacked porches on the front elevation are discouraged but may if required be no more than 50% of the front elevation.
• Decoration and overly ornate trim are discouraged.
• Unbroken two-story entry features are prohibited.
• Two-story columns are discouraged.
• Metal roofs in “accent” areas such as bay roofs, cupolas, and porches are encouraged.
• Round bays are prohibited.
• The garage should not be the main focus of the front elevation. The appearance of front-facing garages must be diminished by either recessing the garage a minimum of 2’0” into the facade and/or by adding an architectural element over the opening such as a trellis or roof.
• The (open) area beneath stairs and porches and homes built on pilings should be enclosed by vinyl lattice.
• The roof pitch on any primary roof must not be less than 6:12.
Style Characteristics
The Coastal/Low Country Style
Examples of approved elevation types, building materials, and architectural design. [See in Management Office]
ROOFS
Roof Types
Acceptable roof types include hip, gable, gambrel, or some combination thereof.
Roof Slopes
The primary roof shall have a 6:12 minimum slope. Slopes of 9:12 and steeper are encouraged and are consistent with the Coastal/Low Country style.
Roof Materials
The primary roof shall be laminated “architectural” shingles with a minimum life expectancy of 25 years.
Metal is the preferred roofing material for smaller roofs, covered porches, walkways, bays, and entrances.
Cedar shingles or shakes and synthetic shingles, shakes, or slate is also permitted.
Barrel tile roof materials are prohibited.
Laminated Architectural Shingle Colors
Roof shingle colors shall be dark shades of black, brown, grey, and green.
As with all other exterior building materials, roofing colors are subject to approval by the ACC prior to the commencement of construction.
Eave Material
All parts of an eave, including the soffit and fascia, should be built of wood-like material (i.e., Azek) or vinyl, and be lighter in color than the main body of the house.
Soffit Trim
Minimum of 6” trim board to be applied under the soffit.
Gutters & Downspouts
Gutters should not return with the eave. Downspouts should be located at the interior or exterior corners of the house.
Downspouts should not be located in the middle of a facade.
Bays and Dormers
Dormers are encouraged and shall be designed in accordance with the overall architectural character of the dwelling unit and sized in proportion to the overall scale of the roof.
- Metal roofs are preferred on bays and dormers.
- It is preferred that bays continue all the way down to finish grade.
- Mullions between grouped windows should be 4” wide.
- Ornate trim is discouraged.
Detailed examples of approved Coastal/Low Country roofing styles and construction are available for review in Appendix 1 [See Management Office for details].
Please note that all colors for all exterior building materials must be approved by the ACC prior to the commencement of construction.
ENTRY FEATURES (Preferred)
Should be located in the center third of the front elevation.
The entry should be accentuated by a covered porch or stoop at least six (6) feet deep.
A metal roof is preferred for the porch roof.
Four (4”) and/or six (6”) flat trim boards should be used around doors, sidelites and transoms.
UNACCEPTABLE
Unbroken two-story entry features.
Ornate trim around the door, sidelites, and transom.
Door “details” are attached or applied to the front elevation.
OPENINGS
EXTERIOR DOORS
Door Types
Exterior doors shall be traditionally paneled doors and may be stained or painted.
Sliding doors are prohibited on entry facades but may be used on rear facades or secondary facades for deck or yard access.
Door Proportions
• Two, four, and six-panel doors (either solid or glazed) may be used.
• Transoms and sidelites are allowed.
Examples: [See Management Office for details]
UNACCEPTABLE
Pediments and Dentals
Fluted or Paneled Pilasters
WINDOWS
Window Types
Coastal/Low Country homes may have single-hung, double-hung, triple hung, and casement windows.
“Detail” windows (i.e., square transom, circle, octagon, etc.) should be simple in design and form and primarily used in bathrooms, stairwells.
Window Trim
All windows shall be fully trimmed on the exterior with appropriate head, side, and sill details.
The trim should be “flat” and a minimum of 4” on the sides and 6” on the head and sill.
Mullions between grouped windows should be a minimum of 4” in width.
Mitered joints are not permitted.
Window Proportions
The vertical height to width proportion of the windows should be a minimum ratio of 1.5 high to 1 wide.
The preferred muntin pattern is “Prairie”.
Other muntin patterns must be preapproved by the ACC before construction begins.
True divided lites are preferred, simulated divided lites are acceptable, but removable muntins are prohibited.
Double Hung Windows with Prairie muntin pattern: Square and Round Detail Windows with Prairie muntin pattern:
SHUTTERS
If shutters are incorporated into the design, each shutter shall be a minimum of 25% of the window width.
Louvered or panelized shutters are acceptable.
Even though the shutters are fixed, traditional hardware is encouraged to evoke the Coastal/Low Country Style.
As with all exterior building materials, shutter colors are subject to ACC approval prior to the commencement of construction.
GARAGE DOORS
Design
Garage doors should be part of the front elevation.
They should be set back from the front plane of the house.
A two (2) foot overhang is encouraged.
A trellis pergola type feature at least two (2) feet deep above the garage is optional but encouraged.
If used, a trellis pergola would be in place of the two (2) toot overhang.
The trim should be flat: 4” at the sides and 6” at the head of the door.
The cornice should not be oversized or ornate. Arched cornices are discouraged.
Colors
While garage doors are preferred but other colors matching the front door, shutters, or siding can be submitted to the ACC for approval.
Types
Vinyl, Fiberglass, or Steel are preferred.
Colonial-style garage doors are discouraged.
SIDING: The primary material for the exterior of the house must be siding
Types
Pre-finished Fiber Cement (i.e., James Hardie)
Engineered Wood Siding (i.e., LP SmartSide)
Styles
Lap Siding
Shingle (Shakes) Siding
Vertical Panel Siding
Stone, brick, and stucco are not permitted for use as the primary siding material. They can, however, be used sparingly for the purpose of accenting certain areas such as above garages, bays, etc.
Brick and smooth finished masonry may also be used for stoops, porch steps, foundation walls and piers, and chimneys.
TRIM
Solid Cellular PVC (i.e., Azek or equal)
Fiber Cement (James Hardie or equal)
Engineered Wood (LP SmartSide or equal)
PREFERRED SIDING COLORS
James Hardie ColorPlus Palette [See Management Office for details]
The colors shown are primarily for the use of the (ACC) Architectural Control Committee during the house plan review and approval process.
All exterior building material colors must be approved by the ACC prior to the commencement of construction.
NOTE: Builders, architects and homeowners should make their selections from actual color samples, which are available from the siding manufacturer
COLUMNS
A. It is preferred that columns be wood usually 4×4 or 6×6 wrapped with a low maintenance product such as solid cellular PVC (Azek or similar product).
B. Outside face of the frieze board or beam should align with the shaft of the column.
C. Column caps should project beyond the face of the frieze board or beam on both sides.
LATTICE & RAILINGS
A. The primary material should be white vinyl.
B. Lattice detailing is intended primarily for use under stairs and crawl spaces.
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