Robert,
The Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Rehabilitation recommend additions to historic properties be "differentiated from the old" and "compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing"(see Standard No. 9). While the SOI Standards are intended to be simply the best advice for working with older buildings, they are not required unless tied to something else (e.g., financial incentives, local laws, etc.).
The National Park Service developed a Preservation Brief that might be helpful for you: "
New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns." Also, be sure to take a look at the
Interpreting the Standards Bulletin series; though these come from the federal tax credit program, they are helpful on a range of preservation concerns, including elevator additions (see Bulletin No. 10).
Barbara
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Barbara Howard Assoc. AIA
Minneapolis MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-27-2020 21:32
From: Robert Taylor
Subject: Addition to historic building
We are adding a stair tower to the side of an historic building on Rice University campus. The designer said the stair tower which is being added to the exterior of the building must be a distinctively different design so it stands out as an addition. Possibly this is required if the building has national or state markers. He has designed an all glass enclosed stairway against a decorative brick Byzantine style building.
I have never heard the requirement of a different architectural style for an addition. Is this true for buildings which have a national historic marker?
R. Taylor
Sent from my iPhone