Additions for Historic Sites

programming & analysis
1

This question relates to a Historic site.

Question: An architect is working on the rehabilitation of small city hall building that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The existing building is two stories with wood framing, solid masonry exterior walls with red brick facades, wood double-hung windows and a gabled, high-pitched slate roof.

Which design elements should the architect suggest for a new addition on the rear of the building?

My answer was - Aluminum frame windows matching the scale and proportion of the existing windows
Correct answer - Metal stud brick veneer walls on the addition

I am confused since I thought additions to historic sites should look complementary to the existing historic building and should not match the look of historic buildings?

2

Hi @gjeong212 - aluminum frame windows is not the best answer to this question because the metal stud wall with brick veneer will visually look exactly like the historic portion of the building, while the aluminum windows will not. Even if the windows match the scale and proportion of the existing windows, aluminum windows tend to have larger sightlines than wood windows.

3

@coachchrishopstock thank you for your response - I guess I am still confused. Should historical additions visually look exactly like the exg historic building or not? I learned that historical additions should be complementary/compatible, not try to look exactly the same.