Oakland Design Review Manual for the Central ... - City of Oakland

4.5 Windows and Transparency4.5IntentENCOURAGECreate attractive building facades and encourage appropriatelevels of interaction between persons inside and outside ofbuildings.Windows allow indoor activity to be seen or perceived from the outside,offering a presence or “eyes on a street” and imparting a senseof safety.Guidelines4.5.1 Window materials, placement, configuration and proportionsshould fit with the chosen architectural style of the overallbuilding.4.5.2 Windows should be set in a logical, rhythmic pattern witha clear relationship between ground floor and upper floorwindows. See Figure 4.5.a.4.5.3 Ground floor windows should be maximized to allow greaterinteraction between the public and activity within a building.See Frontage Types regulations for appropriate minimumareas for transparency of ground floor frontages. See Figure4.5.b.4.5.4 Upper floor uses should orient the more public spaces alongthe primary frontage and frontages that face streets, thewaterfront, public plazas, and open spaces. Windows shouldreflect this relationship through appropriate sizing, thus alsomaximizing the amount of glazing on upper floors.4.5.5 Window design should maximize interior daylighting whilereducing glare through the use of passive shading devicesto maintain visibility between the exterior and interior of thebuilding.4.5.6 Mirrored or smoked glass is strongly discouraged. Otherproducts, such as special ‘Low-E’ films, can be used to maintaintransparency while awnings and overhangs can providesolar protection and heat reduction for building interiors. SeeFigures 4.5.c and 4.5.d.4.5.7 Windows and window frames should be set to provide a reveal(i.e., they should generally not be flush with the exterior faceof the wall) to form a visible shadow line that creates visualinterest along the facades of buildings.XX Figure 4.5.a: Example of windowplacement that shows a clear patternand relationship between upper andlower windows.ENCOURAGEXX Figure 4.5.a: Example of maximizingground floor windows to create interestat along the street.AvoidXX Figure 4.5.c: The smoked glass frontageof the building’s street level facadeprovides privacy for interior offices,but does little to create a visibly activefrontage along the sidewalk. It essentiallycreates a blank wall condition.OAKLAND DESIGN REVIEW MANUAL FOR CENTRAL ESTUARY43