City of Houston Planning and Development Department > (Certificate of Appropriateness) > New Construction
New Construction has the ability to positively enhance the existing character of a historic district, if it is built in such a way as to be sympathetic to and compatible with the contributing structures that are nearby. In order for New Construction to blend in harmoniously with its neighbors, it should be of similar size and incorporate architectural features of similar proportions. New Construction should not be so large that it causes the surrounding contributing structures to seem small or unimportant. However, New Construction does not need to mimic surrounding buildings or replicate their architectural features. In fact, modern designs, materials, and construction techniques can be appropriate (and even desirable) if New Construction is appropriately sized and positioned on the lot.
New Construction has the greatest visual impact on properties that immediately surround it and from which it can be seen, so it is reviewed on the basis of those properties. This is called the context area, and is generally defined as “the blockface and the opposing blockface with in the district where the proposed activity is located.” However, depending on the location of the property where New Construction is proposed to take place, the context area may include a different geographic area. That could be determined on a case-by-case basis, if the Houston Archeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) finds that “unusual and compelling circumstances” exist. The context area could also be described differently in the design guidelines for a specific historic district, depending on the characteristics of that district.
The following criteria explain the requirements for New Construction to be compatible with existing contributing structures in the context area.
Criterion #1
The distance from the property line of the front and side walls, porches, and exterior features of any proposed new construction must be compatible with the distance from the property line of similar elements of existing contributing structures in the context area.
The distance from property line to certain elements of a structure is sometimes called the setback. In many neighborhoods, houses were originally built within a standard range of front and side setbacks, which results in the street having a uniform appearance. The spacing of houses from the street and each other gives the streetscape a visual rhythm. New Construction must be compatible with the historic setbacks in the context area so that it does not disrupt the rhythm of the streetscape. For example, new front porches should be in line with the front porches of existing contributing structures; the front walls and side walls of New Construction similarly should line up with the front walls and side walls of its contributing neighbors.. (Adhering to the prevailing distance of side walls from the property line will also help New Construction achieve the compatible proportions that are required in Criterion 3.)
Some properties in historic districts also may be regulated by a Minimum Building Line (MBL) or by private deed restrictions. For further information on Minimum Building Line ordinances, please visit the Planning and Development Minimum Lot Size (MLS)/Minimum Building Line (MBL) webpage.
Criterion #2
The exterior features of new construction must be compatible with the exterior features of existing contributing structures in the context area.
While new structures within a historic district should be “of their own time” – in other words, visually identifiable as being from the period in which they were built -- New Construction should include exterior features that are compatible with those on existing contributing structures in the context area.
However, in this context, the term exterior features should be interpreted in broad strokes, rather than as referring to specific details. For example, if most of the houses on the blockface have front porches, the proposed New Construction should also have a front porch. Such a porch would not need to incorporate Craftsman-style square tapered columns or Queen Anne-style gingerbread ornamentation. Often, a simple design is most compatible with historic buildings.
Criterion #3
The scale and proportions of the new construction, including the relationship of the width, overall height, eave height, foundation height, porch height, roof shape and roof pitch, and other dimensions to each other, must be compatible with the typical scale and proportions of existing contributing structures in the context area unless special circumstances, such as an atypical use, location or lot size, warrant an atypical scale and proportions.
The terms scale and proportion are used in a specific way by historic preservation professionals, and these concepts are very important when it comes to considering how New Construction will visually impact a historic district.
Scale refers to the size of both buildings and their individual components or features. Scale is often quantified by measuring dimensions such as height, width, area, etc. Proportion is the relationship of those dimensions to each other, either within the same house or across multiple houses in the same context area. When the size and proportions of New Construction are similar to those of nearby existing contributing structures, it is more likely to be harmonious with those properties than a new building that is much larger than nearby houses.
For example, a wide, tall Neoclassical house, with a two-story porch flanked by massive columns, might be typical in one historic district but would be completely inappropriate for a historic district made up of mostly one-story bungalows. Similarly, a small, plain cottage would be out-of-place in a historic district that contains large, high-style homes.
While the number of stories obviously affects scale, a building’s height, width, and roof shape and pitch also have an effect on overall proportions. A new one-story house with very tall interior ceiling heights and a steeply pitched roof is likely to appear much larger than the one-story contributing structures around it. An especially high foundation, which similarly contributes to overall building height, can also have an unfavorable impact on the context area.
On the other hand, if a house has very tall interior ceilings, sometimes builders will try to limit its overall height by making the roof pitch very low. This also can result in a building’s height, width, and roof pitch and shape, that are out of proportion with neighboring contributing buildings.
Criterion #4
The height of the new construction must not be taller than the typical height of existing contributing structures in the context areas unless special circumstances , such as an atypical use, location or lot size warrant an atypical height, except that:
a. Design guidelines for an individual historic district may provide that a new construction with two stories may be constructed in a context area with only one-story contributing structures as long as the first story of the new construction has proportions compatible with the contributing structures in the context area, and the second story has similar proportions to the first story; and
b. A new construction shall not be constructed with more than one story in a historic district that is comprised entirely of one-story contributing structures, except as provided for in design guidelines for an individual historic district.;
Please refer to the individual Historic District pages for further details on what’s appropriate for each district.
Please refer to the individual Historic District pages for further details on what’s appropriate for each district.