Building Design Standards (B-37)

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Building Design Standards (B-37)

Original Implementation: July 21, 2009
Last Revision: July 17, 2012

Statement of purpose
This standard provides the building designer with general guidance regarding the university’s intent to develop a campus of buildings having a unified architectural vernacular without restricting building function or efficiency.
Terms followed by an asterisk ( * ) appear in Appendix A.
Building planners shall refer to the campus master plan and should be guided by its general intent.
Governing codes and standards shall include current edition(s) of the International Building Code, Life Safety Code, Americans with Disabilities Act, Texas Accessibility Standards, the Fair Housing Act, Texas Building Energy Code and all applicable laws of the United States and the state of Texas.
Site standards
1. Buildings shall be setback from streets a sufficient distance to provide transition from city-streetscape to campus environment. Building setback dimensions should be governed by the height and mass of the proposed structure and the traffic volume of the adjacent street.
  1. Minimum setbacks from public streets:
    - North Street 100 feet
    - University Boulevard 100 feet
    - East College 50 feet
    - Austin Street 50 feet
    - Raguet Street 100 feet
  2. Minimum setback from internal campus streets:
    - Griffith Boulevard 100 feet
    - Vista 40 feet
    - Clark Boulevard 35 feet
    - Clark Boulevard ( at Kennedy Auditorium) 25 feet
    - Alumni Drive 40 feet
    - Aikman Street 40 feet
    - Raguet Street 40 feet
    - Hayter Street 40 feet
    - Wilson Drive 25 feet
2. Building separation
  Buildings shall be separated by distances governed by building height and mass; and by the pedestrian load along routes that pass between buildings.
3. Pedestrian malls
  Pedestrian malls - developed between the Steen Library and the Baker Pattillo Student Center and Raguet Street from Griffith Boulevard to Aikman Drive- shall be spacious openings with two lanes, each with 8 or more feet of width.
4. Sidewalks
  - Major pedestrian route shall be 8 or more feet wide.
  - Secondary pedestrian route shall be 5 feet or more wide.
  - Maintenance access walks shall be sized to meet the service need but not less than 3 feet wide.
5. Site lighting shall be provided by campus standard pole lamps* located 75 feet apart. Individual spacing may vary to avoid conflict with driveways, intersections and utilities.
6. Site selection and building placement shall accommodate and prepare for future campus development.
7. Way-finding signs shall conform to SFA Direction Signs System, undated (excerpts appear here as Appendix B).
8. Building identification signs on the main campus shall conform to Appendix C. The monument shall be cast stone with a cream white finish similar to Indiana limestone. A bronze university seal shall be embedded at monument base. The text field shall be porcelainized steel, white letters on a purple field (CPEC 865-6 Custom Purple). The typeface shall be Univers over Amasis. The designer shall adjust type size and stretch to accommodate building name. Construction and attachment of the text field assembly shall allow the text field to be removed and replaced without modification of the monument.
9. Building identification signs at remote campus sites shall conform to Appendix C1. The monument shall be cast stone with a cream white finish similar to Indiana limestone. A bronze university seal shall be embedded at monument base. The designer must proportion the monument to fit the site, road speed and set back requirements. The text field shall be porcelainized steel, white letters on a purple field (CPEC 865-6 Custom Purple). The typeface shall be Amasis over Univers Bold. The designer shall adjust type size and stretch to accommodate building name and proportions of the monument. Construction and attachment of the text field assembly shall allow the text field to be removed and replaced without modification of the monument.
10. Landscape designers shall refer to the SFA Landscape Installation and Maintenance Standards, May 2009.
Architectural Style
1. Academic buildings shall reflect a stylistic relationship to the university’s legacy buildings*.
  1. Major buildings* shall express their entrance by use of a podium, monumental stair or canopy.
    1. Pedestrian approach considerations should include one or more covered entrances.
    2. A passenger vehicular approach shall be provided with a drop off point within 40 feet of an entrance.
    3. Service vehicles shall have a separate approach that comes within 30 feet of the building and provides parking for two trucks for every 40,000 square feet. of building area.
    4. A dumpster shall be located within 50 feet of the building’s service entrance. Dumpsters shall be screened with brick enclosures. Provide task lighting, storm drains or hose bibs at dumpster locations.
  2. Building height should be limited to 5 floors or 75 feet.
  3. Exterior materials palette shall be compatible with the SFA legacy buildings.
    1. Dark brown and brown-black blends are desirable.
    2. Stone or cast stone selected to be complement the brick selection should be used for detail.
  4. Windows shall be clear, insulated, anodized aluminum, bronze anodized aluminum or white painted aluminum.
    1. Glass shall be fixed, clear, green or bronze double glazing. Reflective finishes should be limited, if not discouraged.
    2. Operable windows shall be provided when required by the educational program being housed.
  5. Sloped roofs, if used, shall be architectural standing seam metal with a gray or gray-brown color compatible with the brick selection.
2. Residential halls should reflect a stylistic relationship to Lumberjack Lodge, completed in 2005.
  1. Building entrance
    1. The building should have one or more entrances protected by a canopy of recessed entrance.
    2. A passenger vehicular approach shall be provided with a drop off point within 30 feet of an entrance. Residence halls should be allowed a variance.
    3. Service vehicles shall have a separate approach that comes within 20 feet of the building and provide parking for 1 service vehicle per 110 beds.
  2. Dumpsters shall be located within 50 feet of a secondary building entrance (preferably a service entrance). Dumpster locations should be as discrete as practical and shall be screened but must allow easy access to residents and staff. Provide task lighting, storm drains or hose bibs at dumpster locations.
  3. Exterior material palette shall be drawn from the Lumberjack Lodge, completed in 2005.
    1. Brick shall be red and red with black-washed blend with stone of cast stone detailing.
    2. Roofs should slope and have architectural standing seam metal roofing with a green or earth-green finish.
    3. Window frames shall be insulated, bronze anodized aluminum or bronze painted aluminum.
      1. Glazing shall be double pane clear, bronze or earth-green.
      2. Operable window shall be provided in sleeping rooms.
      3. Fixed or operable glazing may be used in common areas.
Auxiliary buildings should reflect an architectural style that relates to the building function, blend with the campus surroundings and when appropriate relate to a legacy style (ref. to paragraph 6.1 above).
Parking structures
Parking structures should be constructed of exposed precast concrete with brick accents and detailing as exemplified by the Aikman Garage (2005).
Surface parking
Surface parking should be punctuated by island trees at a ratio of 1 tree well/island (approx. equal to two parking spaces) for each 30 cars parked.
Roads and bridges
Campus streets should be lined by concrete curb and gutter. Sidewalks should be separated from road pavements by a grass parkway that should be equal in width to the sidewalk but shall not be less than one-half the sidewalk width.

Cross Reference: None

Responsible for Implementation: Vice President for Finance and Administration

Contact for Revision: Vice President for Finance and Administration

Forms: None

Board Committee Assignment: Building and Grounds

Appendix A
Stephen F. Austin State University
Building Design Standards

Definitions and Terms

Legacy Building – Stephen F. Austin Building. 1924; Thomas J. Rusk Building, 1926; Chemistry Building, 1938.

Major Building – a proposed new building with three or more floors or more than 40,000 square feet

Shall – As used in the Building Design Standards Policy, the designer will view the item as a current requirement.

Should – As used in the Building Design Standards Policy, the designer will view the item as a recommendation.

Standard Pole Lamp – Holophane, Washington Postlite 150MH, Wadsworth 10’ pole

Appendix B

Appendix C

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