Design Guidelines - Senatobia, Mississippi

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guIdelIneS for new commercIal-type BuIldIngS
The piers on this building are expressed clearly
by virtue of their material, color, and continuity
from the first floor to the upper floor.
The absence of framing piers and their
replacement with visually inappropriately sized
columns make the building look as though it
will collapse on itself.
Traditional relationship of
storefront & window elements to
the building frame or piers.
These two buildings do a good job of expressing the masonry
piers that support the upper façade. However, they could have
been improved had the awnings been constrained within the
piers.
3.2.6
Piers/
builDinG frame
The piers that frame the storefront
and visually anchor the upper
façade play an essential role in creating
the unified architectural framework
which organizes the street level’s
visual diversity. Where these piers
have been eliminated or reduced in
size, the architectural definition of
the façade will appear weak and the
upper architecture inadequately balanced.
The piers’ width and spacing
should give both structural and visual
support to the façade.
Guidelines
v To emphasize the piers’ integral
role in defining the architectural
character of the upper façade, they
should be treated with the same surface
material.
v Piers which segment the storefront
are recommended on wide
buildings to improve proportional
balance. (See upper left example.)
v Awnings and storefront elements
should be constrained within the
piers to further emphasize the vertical
and supporting nature of the piers to
the upper floor.
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