Lighting.
Among the "finishing touches" of a renovation or restoration project, lighting is among the most important in presenting the building to the public and facilitating contemporary use. The type and placement of lighting plays an important role in maintaining the authentic historic interest in a building. Unfortunately, the type and intensity of lighting originally used on a building often is considered inadequate for modern uses.
The Commissions encourage the use of fixtures original to a building and adapted for contemporary use. Where the building no longer has original fixtures or never had them, the Commission encourages the development of a lighting scheme using fixtures which are compatible in age and style to the building, or which are unobtrusive and not suggestive of style or age. The following are some observations based on previous Commission actions:
Carriage lights are highly associated with Colonial Revival architectural style. These lights have very little precedent in 19th century New Orleans architecture. The Commissions discourage their use except where evidence supports their previous existence, and provided that they are properly scaled and detailed.
The installation of lighting fixtures should relate to the major architectural features of a building and not interfere with any minor elements. For instance, lighting fixtures should be mounted centered on the space between column bays, or symmetrically around a door. Lights should not be located so that they interfere with the operation of a window or door.
In most instances, flush or recess mounted fixtures for use in porch soffits or ceilings are preferred over hanging fixtures.
Only incandescent lamps may be used in residential settings. Other lamp types including mercury vapor, sodium vapor, and fluorescent can be considered for commercial settings on a case by case basis.
Security lighting systems should be designed and installed in such a way as to minimize visibility of the fixture during daylight hours and to provide a uniform lighting pattern on those portions of the building visible from the street.
The Commissions invite innovative lighting schemes for buildings located in local historic districts so long as they respect and enhance the architectural character of the building, and the general ambience of the historic district.
The staff may approve the lighting schemes supported by historical evidence for all rated structures, and on gold, red and green-rated structures when the proposals are sympathetic to the age and style of the building. However, when proposals on purple and blue-rated structures are not supported by historical documentation, the Commissions reserve the right to review for approval. Approval of lighting schemes will be based on drawings which show the lights in relationship to the existing building, and either a shop drawing or manufacturer's description of the proposed fixtures.
Paving.
The Commissions encourage the use of traditional paving materials in an effort to support the authentic quality of the historic context of a neighborhood. Where existing materials such as slate paving or brick exist, the Commissions strongly encourage their retention. Where the materials are damaged or the installation is incomplete, the applicant is encouraged to formulate a plan for the reuse on site of the historic material. Removal from the site of historic paving materials from purple and blue-rated structures must be approved by the full Commission. On green, red and gold-rated buildings, the removal of historic paving material may be approved by the staff provided the proposal does not detract significantly from the historic context of the building.
The type of paving and the details used historically differ significantly today from the 19th century because many new products and materials have become available. Most notable is the use of reinforced concrete with high compression strength provided by the introduction of portland cement into the mix. This technical improvement in the strength of concrete has increased its use in many situations where other unit pavers would previously have been used. Since the material and the appearance of this expanse of monolithic material has no precedent in a local historic district, the Commissions encourage the use of landscaping to minimize the visual impact.
The Commissions encourage the use of simple steel trowel finished concrete where this material must be used. The Commissions prohibit the use of exposed aggregate in landscaping elements under its jurisdiction.
The Commissions recognize that many products are available for paving use. They encourage the use of brick paving where there is historic precedent, but are willing to consider any well documented application for alternative materials. Approval by the Commission for a product should not be taken as an endorsement for the use of that product. Each application for a nontraditional paving material is taken on a case by case basis.
On all purple and blue-rated structures, applications for new paving must be approved by the Commission. For green, red and gold-rated structures, the staff may approve new paving plans, provided they support the tout ensemble of the streetscape. If an applicant wishes to pursue a proposal deemed inappropriate by the staff, it is referred to the Architectural Review Committee for comment.
Structural and Ornamental Metals, Ceramics and Other Materials.
The palette of materials on 19th and early 20th century buildings included cast and wrought iron, ceramic, and other miscellaneous materials for structural and ornamental purposes. The use of these materials as structural and ornamental materials is well documented in existing examples, photographs and building descriptions. The Commissions encourage the retention of all original material wherever possible. The removal of original ornamental material from all purple, blue, or green-rated structures must be approved by the full Commission. On gold and unrated structures, the removal of these decorative items may be approved by the staff if that removal does not damage the architectural character of the building.
Where a portion or all of a piece of architectural detail is missing from a building (a ceramic column capital, for example), the Commissions have allowed the use of an alternate material such as cast resin for a replacement. The criteria used for allowing such a replacement, either in the original or a substitute material, is that the new item must match the original exactly in every detail. The fabric of the materials must be such that when a finish is applied to the surface, it will match the original exactly in texture. Approvals for this type of work can be made at the staff level since they accomplish the visual restoration of a building. Documentation must be submitted to the staff showing the process which will be used and stating the anticipated result. No work to remove architectural elements from a building may proceed without the written approval of the Commission or the staff. The use of wrought and cast-iron details in handrails, cornice pieces, columns and so forth is common in association with certain architectural styles and periods. It was also common for older buildings to be retrofitted with ornamental iron during later periods. The Commissions discourage the addition of ornamental cast- iron at a later period. The Commissions discourage the addition of ornamental cast or wrought iron where it is not documented for the particular style or type of building. In the instance of well documented ornamental iron (either physical evidence or photographs), the staff may approve the reinstallation of cast or wrought iron on any building under the Commissions' jurisdiction. Where there is no evidence of prior use of ornamental ironwork, the staff may approve similar installations provided the work is properly detailed and appropriate to the age and style of the building. On purple and blue-rated structures the Commissions reserve the right to review all applications for the addition of undocumented ornamental ironwork.
The type of information necessary for the installation of any ironwork must include dimensioned drawings which accurately show the size, material and construction configuration of the proposed work. In the case of cast-iron panels, a foundry number can be used to identify the item to be used. If the work is extensive or constitutes a major design element, the Commission may request that full elevation drawings be submitted showing the proposed ironwork in place, so that the effect of the addition can be judged more carefully.
In making proposals for the installation of ornamental ironwork on a building, the Commissions suggest the careful analysis of other buildings of similar age and style to finalize appropriate details.