Title/Name/Summary
Discovery Clothing - Building Elevations
History
PROJECT:
To construct a 11,730 square-foot retail building on Lowe’s Outlot #2 with four-sided architecture;
PETITIONER:
Kenny Goldman/ Discovery Clothing
4255 N Knox
Chicago, IL. 60641
REQUESTED ACTION:
Building Elevations Approval
LOCATION:
156th Place and La Grange Road, Lowe's Outlot #2
ATTACHMENTS:
Elevations
PLANNING OVERVIEW
The petitioner is requesting elevations approval for the 11,730 square-foot Discovery Clothing retail building on Lowe’s Outlot #2, one lot south of 156th Place on La Grange Road.
This site is part of a comprehensive master site plan under the Lowe’s of Orland Park Subdivision development.
The specific site plan for Discovery Clothing was previously considered and approved at the September 11, 2007 Plan Commission. This report addresses the proposed Discovery Clothing building elevations.
DISCUSSION
The previously approved site plan indicated that the new 11,730 square-foot Discovery Clothing retail building will have a significant presence along La Grange Road. The building itself will be orientated toward 95th Avenue, however, with the main entrance to the building facing the parking lot.
The position of the building will be such that from multiple vantage points-from La Grange Road, 95th Avenue, and neighboring establishments-all four facades of the structure will be clearly visible to the public.
The site plan indicated that the building will shield the parking lot from La Grange Road by placing the building between the parking lot and La Grange. On the 95th Avenue side, the parking lot will face the greater parking lot of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store. The site plan also indicated that a sidewalk surrounds the proposed building on the north, east and west sides of the building. A sidewalk will extend from 95th Avenue to connect with the LaGrange Road sidewalk on the north side of the building. It will also grant pedestrian access via a walkway to the main entrance of the building.
Project Description:
It should be emphasized that the building for Discovery Clothing should have four-sided architecture. This is important to note because the building is located on a prominent segment of LaGrange Road, which is Orland Park’s primary access route.
The building architecture is typical of a stand-alone retail building. Discovery Clothing will be the building’s only tenant. Because of this, all elevations will reflect Discovery Clothing’s architectural style and design.
Windows
Considerable import was placed on the storefront windows that face LaGrange Road. As a major arterial street, LaGrange Road offers high levels of visibility. It is important that the elevations reflect this character of LaGrange by offering storefront windows for clothing displays and transparency both for Discovery Clothing and any future building tenants.
Along the west elevation, one panel section on the north end of the building remains as spandrel glass presumably for security purposes to company back office activities. Considering this is the only spandrel glass panel on the building, the petitioner should eliminate it and replace it with open glass and address any security or other visibility concerns either through interior window dressings, extending any window display area walls to cover this section, or tinted glass in certain sections or areas.
On the east elevation glass windows front the parking lot providing building transparency for patrons. Along the south elevation, glass storefront windows also provide transparency and a lookout over the naturally landscaped pond. This elevation is also important as it will be highly visible from the northbound lanes of LaGrange Road. The north elevation has elevated open glass panels along the whole length allowing natural light into the stock and work rooms. This elevation faces the adjacent bank drive-thru lanes.
Roofline
Although the building will have a single user, the elevations should nevertheless avoid a flat roofline. While the building has the four main architectural elements that offer some variation, long segments of the building’s roofline remain flat. The roofline should be broken up by extending the parapet to create slight variations in the roofline and avoid design monotony (Section 6-308.F.10).
Regarding the roofline of the four main architectural features, an effort should be made to hide from view as much as possible the back side or cross-sections of those parapet walls along LaGrange Road. The petitioner should work with staff to achieve this.
Vertical Piers
All vertical piers on the building are clad in masonry to the parapet. The vertical piers associated with the four main architectural features should have their masonry extended to the top of those parapets to frame these main elements and provide the visual structural logic.
If the roofline is varied, the vertical piers should also extend masonry accordingly.
Main Architectural Features
The main architectural features on each elevation that will display Discovery Clothing’s signage are clad in EIFS. Because this building is located along Orland Park’s primary access route and a major arterial road, a higher design quality is usually requested to reflect the important nature of the corridor. Like other buildings near this site, such as the new Staples store, masonry should play an important role in framing and cladding the building.
For these reasons, the main architectural features should be of a masonry quality that establishes the building on the site visually as a permanent independent structure, rather than a less than permanent one. The masonry qualities can include a different color of brick or stone, like beige, to match existing color schemes.
Illumination
Illumination of the building should be and is focused onto the building elevations. Illumination should not project outward or upward (excessively) from the elevations in order to preserve the night time sky and environment. Canopy accent lighting on all elevations focuses light appropriately downward onto awnings and display areas. This practice is consistent with neighboring buildings along LaGrange Road, particularly to the south of the site. Exterior up/down wall sconces provide structural illumination, focusing attention on the masonry clad vertical piers of the building. Light should not emit from the red tile inserts.
The petitioner is encouraged to use environmentally friendly and energy sustainable lighting strategies and systems to illuminate the building.
Height Dimensions
The maximum height of the building is 28 feet to the top of the main architectural elements of the structure. The parapet line is 22 feet. The top of the roof is 18 feet high.
Storefront windows will extend 12 feet high and the bottom of the awnings will be at 11 feet.
Colors and Materials.
The building will be mostly of a single color scheme. Building masonry will be red brick, while areas that are clad in EIFS will be colored beige. The metal coping will also be red. The awnings will be fabric and colored red with white detail.
Red and beige are the company trademark colors.
Relationship to Streetscape
The site plan indicated that the proposed building will come up to La Grange Road to continue the established corridor pattern of having the building closed to or on the street.
This retail building will substantially add to the LaGrange Road corridor street wall. It will align with existing structures and complement their architecture and uses accordingly.
Screening of Loading
The screening of the loading area should be considered with the landscape plan.
Signage
All signs will be reviewed and approved in a separate process by the building department.
Lighting
Lighting will ultimately be reviewed along with Final Engineering.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to accept as findings of fact of this Plan Commission, the findings of fact set forth in this Staff Report dated September 25, 2007, and
I move to recommend to the Village Board approval of the building elevations titled “Discovery Clothing Lowe’s of Orland Park Lot 2 Exterior Elevations”, prepared by Chipman Adams Architects, dated 09-20-07, subject to the following conditions:
1. That the petitioner work with staff to determine possibilities to vary the roofline appropriately to avoid monotony in design and address the side view of parapets;
2. That the petitioner extends masonry to the top of the main architectural features on each façade along the vertical piers or columns;
3. That the main architectural features on each elevation are clad in masonry;
4. That the red tile inserts on the elevations do not emit illumination;
5. That the petitioner works with staff to eliminate the spandrel glass panel on the west elevation’s north window bay.