City Services Building - Exhibit E: Schematic Design Historic Project Review

To:

Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects

Attn: Frederick Fisher, AIA From: Peyton Hall, FAIA Date: January 26, 2016 INTRODUCTION

This review is based on the following project information. The criteria for review are stated and referenced within the memorandum. References include the Santa Monica City Hall Historic Structure Report, Volumes I and II, dated April 10, 2003 (HSR), observations of existing conditions, exterior and interior, and review of renderings of proposed exterior views prepared by Frederick Fisher and Partners Architects (FFP). The HSR includes data on the development chronology and significance of the property, spaces, and features. With the exception of the intervening removal of the police department addition on the east side of the original structure and alteration of the yards and setting on the west and south, there are no features or conditions that are significantly different relative to the historic structure. We have received 100% Schematic Design architectural drawings, and selected landscape architecture drawings, prepared by FFP, for Hathaway Dinwiddie, dated January 26, 2016.

OWNER’S PROJECT REQUIREMENTS: E. PRESERVATION

The proposed new structure is an addition that is adjacent to and will connect to the 1939 Santa Monica City Hall, a historically significant structure, and will require design sensitivity. Designed by prominent Los Angeles architect Donald B. Parkinson, and Joseph M. Estep, the historic City Hall was constructed by Campbell and Kelly Construction and dedicated into community service on November 24, 1939. A local architectural treasure and an outstanding example of the PWA Moderne/Streamline Moderne style of

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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architecture, Santa Monica’s City Hall building was formally determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 by consensus determination, and was therefore listed in the California Register of Historical Resources. City Hall was designated as a Santa Monica City Landmark in 1979. The current City Hall building was designed to unite the municipal offices, services and activities of three separate structures: Santa Monica City Hall, a fire station, and police station/jail. Two two-and-a-half story wings flank a three story central pavilion totaling approximately 60,000 square feet and constructed primarily of cast-in-place concrete, with some wood-framed floors and roofs.

OWNER’S MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:

1. The proposed addition to the historic City Hall will be designed to maintain eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, to meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards (36 CFR 68), and follow Preservation Brief Number 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns by A. Grimmer and K. Weeks, 2010, published by the National Park Service. 2. The project budget will keep in mind that: where new work intersects historic finishes, the replacement; repair and/or preservation of the historic finishes has priority; historic finishes shall be protected during construction; identify historic finishes or other elements; and materials used for repair of existing finishes should meet or exceed the same quality as the existing finishes.

OWNER’S TASK FOR CONSULTANTS DURING THE FEASIBILITY STUDY

The demolition and removal or incorporation of the historic Fire Station ‘vehicle bay’. On December 8, 2014, during the feasibility study for the project, three schemes were reviewed with the Landmarks Commission. On that date, the Landmarks Commission recommended the option to remove the vehicle bay and north stair. Subsequently, on January 27, 2015, the City Council confirmed the approach and the removal of the vehicle bay and north stair.

EXISTING FACILITIES ANALYSIS (CITY HALL COMPLEX) TASKS FOR SUBCONSULTANT (HRG):

1. Review for determination of compatibility and appropriateness of the design with the Landmark Santa Monica City Hall.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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2. Give an opinion of whether or not the proposed design complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Preservation Brief Number 14. 3. Analyze and discuss the impact of the demolition and removal of the historic Fire Station ‘vehicle bay’. 4. Continue to reference the Historic Structures Report for determination of character-defining features. 5. Review previous historic preservation reports. 6.

Outline the framework for the review of the impacts of the proposed design and discuss impacts (both positive/negative) on historic character.

SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES STATUS AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

City of Santa Monica: Designated Landmark The Santa Monica City Hall was formally determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in April, 1996. By virtue of this determination of eligibility, the building was placed on the California Register of Historical Resources. In addition, the City Hall was designated Santa Monica City Landmark #12 on October 16, 1979. The Santa Monica City Council adopted the Landmarks Ordinance (#1028CCS) to recognize local landmarks, structures of merit, and historic districts in 1976, as amended in 1991. The Ordinance created a Landmarks Commission and criteria for designating local landmarks. Once a property has been designated a City of Santa Monica Landmark, the Commission reviews permits for alteration, relocation, or demolition and issues certificates of appropriateness for any such changes. As a city landmark, the Santa Monica City Hall is subject to this review process upon the proposal of any alterations. The Landmarks Commission referenced the exterior, site-related character-defining features of City Hall in the Staff Report and Minutes of their meeting held on May 23, 2011. The City’s criteria for a certificate of appropriateness under the Landmark ordinance (SMMC 9.56140) include the following. •

“In the case of any proposed alteration, restoration, removal or relocation, in whole or in part, of or to a Landmark or to a Landmark Parcel, the proposed work

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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would not detrimentally change, destroy or adversely affect any exterior feature of the Landmark or Landmark Parcel upon which such work is to be done.” •

“In the case of any proposed construction of a new improvement upon a Landmark Parcel, the exterior features of such new improvement would not adversely affect and not be disharmonious with the exterior features of other existing improvements situated upon such Landmark Parcel.”

•

“In the case of any proposed alteration, restoration, removal or relocation, in whole or in part, to interior public space incorporated in a Landmark designation pursuant to Section 9.36.110, the proposed work would not detrimentally change, destroy or adversely affect any interior feature of the Landmark structure.”

•

“The Secretary of Interior’s Standards shall be used by the Landmarks Commission in evaluating any proposed alteration, restoration, or construction, in whole or in part, of or to a Landmark, Landmark Parcel, or to a Contributing Building or Structure within a Historic District.”

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (36 CFR 67) includes four different Standards, and provides guidelines for each of the Standards. Those Standards are Preservation, Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction. In this case, the appropriate criteria to apply are the Standards and Guidelines for Rehabilitation. The Standards for Rehabilitation are the most often applied criteria, and are appropriate for the continued use of a property that must undergo measured change over time (the term “adaptive reuse” is often applied to buildings or portions of buildings). Preservation is appropriate for retaining a building in its current state; Restoration is appropriate for returning a building to a depiction of a former state of a former period; Reconstruction is appropriate for rebuilding an entire structure that existing formerly and is no longer standing.

State of California: Listed on the California Register of Historical Resources United States: Determined Eligible for Listing on the National Register of Historic Places In general, listing on the California Register and official eligibility for listing on the National Register do not necessarily have any direct effects at the local level. There is no direct state or national review of a proposed project due to these programs. If the project is or becomes a Federal undertaking (e.g., Federal funds or Federal licenses), then Section 106 applies, and eligibility for the National Register would cause the appropriate Federal agency, in consultation with the California Office of Historic

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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Preservation, to review proposed work for its effect on the historic character of the building. A finding of conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation is a threshold for a finding of no significant adverse effect on the building under Section 106. Review will occur in connection with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA will apply, because there is discretionary review involved in the proposed work (Landmarks Commission review), and Santa Monica City Hall meets the criteria for a historic resource under CEQA. We cannot determine the type of environmental review that will be required by the lead agency for CEQA. That decision will be made by the City of Santa Monica, and in consideration of the project description that comes forward from the project design process.

CONSOLIDATION OF OWNER’S MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS & FRED FISHER PARTNERS ARCHITECTS EXISTING FACILITIES ANALYSIS TASKS FOR HRG, AND SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS:

1. The proposed alterations to City Hall and its site are designed so that the building retains eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. 2. The proposed alterations to City Hall and its site meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. 3. The proposed additions to City Hall and its site follow the recommendations of Preservation Brief Number 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings:

Preservation Concerns. 4. During the feasibility analysis, the demolition and removal or incorporation of the historic fire station vehicle bay into a building addition on the east (rear) side of the extant structure were studied. Among the alternatives, removal of the vehicle bay allows for a smaller and less impactful addition. 5. The design of the proposed addition that is compatible with the historic City Hall. 6. In summary, the proposed project design has a positive impact and benefits the continued use of City Hall and its site. 7. The proposed project design will keep in mind that: where new work intersects historic finishes, the replacement; repair and/or preservation of the historic finishes has priority; historic finishes shall be protected during construction; identify historic

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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finishes or other elements; and materials used for repair of existing finishes should meet or exceed the same quality as the existing finishes.

BUILDING AND PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

The project will remove an altered portion of the building of the rear 37 feet of the south wing that was originally built for and occupied for a brief period as the vehicle bay of a local fire station. The project will add a multi-story addition that is a long bar shape that closes the open, east (rear) side of the existing City Hall courtyard on the approximate footprint of the previously demolished Santa Monica Police Department wing (an earlier addition that had not attained significance over time). The addition will contain approximately 40,000 square feet of new office space and support facilities on three levels plus a service basement (a total of approximately 50,000 square feet). The project will make changes to existing landscaped and hardscaped areas at the side yards on the north and south of the City Hall building. The project will add an array of photo-voltaic panels on the north side that generate electricity while also sheltering an area that will continue to be used for parking. The new facilities are functionally justified. Important City service functions have changed and expanded over time. Service functions are associated with and integral with the original City Hall but cannot fit into the volume of the original City Hall. The addition makes possible the continued use of a historic building as the center of civic life in Santa Monica. The 2003 Historic Structure Report identified the exterior walls, windows, plaster finishes on the interior of the exterior walls, a stairway, and a hose-drying tower as extant significant features of the fire station portion of the original City Hall construction. Though the former fire station area does not retain adequate integrity to convey its original use, its association in history as a part of the Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) was considered. Fire Station No. 1 moved from the City Hall complex in 1955 to a new headquarters building at the same time that the police department alterations and additions to the rear, east side of the original building. There is no memorialization at City Hall and there are no notable known events related to the SMFD at this location. Although important, we found that the history of the SMFD is not a criteria of significance for City Hall and was not identified as a part of its local historic designation.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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7 ANALYSIS

1. The proposed alterations to City Ci ty Hall will be designed so that the building retains eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places

Historic integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance and is defined as the “authenticity of a property’s historic identity, evidenced by the survival of physical characteristics that existed during the property’s historic period.”1 The National Park Service defines seven aspects of integrity: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. These qualities are defined as follows: •

Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.

•

Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property.

•

Setting is the physical environment of a historic property.

•

Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.

•

Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory.

•

Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.

•

Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.2 Demolition of the original fire station vehicle bay and a low-rise addition on the rear leaves City Hall on its original site; integrity of location is retained. City Hall will retain most of its essential original form, architecture, materials, finishes, and features, and therefore would retain integrity of design, materials, and

1 2

Ibid., p. 3.

National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington D.C.: National Park

Service, U.S. Department of Interior, 1995.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

workmanship. City Hall will remain visually identifiable as a civic building, in its current setting in a civic center. The existing architecture, occupancies, public assembly, deliberative and legislative activities continue. Therefore, the property retains integrity of feeling and association. The integrity of setting is retained, as the front and side yards that are most visible and used by the public are retained. The addition of shade over the parking to accommodate photo-voltaic panels in the north yard does not substantially alter the character of the open space and the relationship of City Hall to that space. The footprint of the building addition was occupied until recently by the 1955 police department; this addition does not substantially alter the historic character of the courtyard or the open space behind City Hall. 2. The proposed alterations to City Hall will meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation In the event that the original fire station vehicle bay is removed and a low-rise addition is made on the east side, a photo-voltaic shed is added over parking in the north yard, and minor changes to landscaping are made in the north and south side yards, the following are comments following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation, specifically standards 1 through 8. Standards 9 and 10 are reviewed in section 3.

Standard 1: A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. The use of City Hall will not change. The project meets Standard 1.

Standard 2: The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided. The removal of the vehicle bay volume and north jail stair from the building will demolish an original component. The integrity of this existing component is already diminished because the vehicular doors are structurally altered and the interior space is altered through partitioning and finishes. This work is subtractive, and not reversible. However, removal of 37 feet of a rear wing leaves the character-defining spaces and features of the original City Hall substantially intact. The alteration of a portion of the south lawn at the east end, a character-defining feature of the site, in order to provide a secondary entrance to the addition from

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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Olympic Drive, leaves the feature substantially intact. The project meets Standard 2. The City’s Landmark Ordinance criteria are generally consistent with the Standards for Rehabilitation. The City’s ordinance requires that “the proposed

work would not detrimentally change, destroy or adversely affect any exterior feature of the Landmark or Landmark Parcel upon which such work is to be done.” On December 8, 2014, the Landmarks Commission, in reviewing the feasibility study, preferred this project alternative, including the removal of the former fire department vehicle bay.

Standard 3: Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken. The existing historic City Hall building will not be altered by the addition of any features. Refer to section 3 and review of Standards 9 and 10 for discussion of the addition at the rear of the building. The project meets Standard 3.

Standard 4: Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved. No removals of later additions are proposed. The project meets Standard 4.

Standard 5: Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved. Features such as murals, decorative glazed tile, wood paneling, and poured-in-place concrete will be retained. The project meets Standard 5.

Standard 6: Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. At the schematic design phase there is no proposed replacement of characterdefining features at the historic City Hall building. The project meets Standard 6.

Standard 7: Chemical and physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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No chemical and physical treatments are proposed. The project meets Standard 7.

Standard 8: Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken. We recommend that when the City of Santa Monica undertakes CEQA review for potential impacts on historic and cultural resources that appropriate mitigation measures be included for protection and preservation of archeological resources, in order to meet Standard 8. There will be ground-disturbing activity at the north, east, and south yards, as well as the courtyard. All of these areas have been previously disturbed, and recently disturbed due to the major building and infrastructure projects at and near the site. Because of this, no archeological activity is anticipated. 3. The proposed additions to City Hall will follow the recommendations of Preservation Brief Number 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings:

Preservation Concerns Standards, Guidelines, and Preservation Brief 14 In reviewing the proposed additions to a historic building, we used the National Park Service: 36 CFR 68, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Standards for Rehabilitation, focusing on Standards 9 and 10), Guidelines for the Standards for Rehabilitation, and Preservation Brief 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns.

Standard 9: New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment. The project will add a low-rise office wing at the rear, east side of the historic building, and a photo-voltaic array in the north side yard. After the consideration of removal of the historic vehicle bay (Standard 2), this is the major consideration for meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The key concepts in the text of Standard 9 are differentiation and compatibility.

Standard 10: New additions or adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and it environment would be unimpaired.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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The proposed additions are “reversible,” after consideration of the demolition of the original fire department vehicle bay. The project meets Standard 10. Following is guidance from the National Park Service.

"...a modern addition should be readily distinguishable from the older work; however, the new work should be harmonious with the old in scale, proportion, materials, and color.” “Plan the new addition in a manner that provides some differentiation in material, color, and detailing so that the new work does not appear to be part of the historic building. The character of the historic resource should be identifiable after the addition is constructed.”

Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings

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Alterations/Additions for the New Use The construction of an exterior addition on a historic building may seem to be essential for the new use, but it is emphasized in the Rehabilitation guidelines that such new additions should be avoided, if possible, and considered only after it is determined that those needs cannot be met by altering secondary, i.e., non-character-defining interior spaces. If, after a thorough evaluation of interior solutions, an exterior addition is still judged to be the only viable alternative, it should be designed and constructed to be clearly differentiated from the historic building and so that the character-defining features are not radically changed, obscured, damaged, or destroyed. The proposed addition accommodates new uses and functions that do not fit in the historic City Hall building, and is designed to be differentiated and compatible.

Building Site Recommended: Identifying, retaining, and preserving buildings and their features as well as features of the site that are important in defining its overall historic character. Retaining the historic relationship between buildings and the landscape.

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Ibid., pp. 63-115.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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The project retains the relationship between the existing building and its relationship to the street and district. The major addition is on the rear, as was the earlier addition, and does not impact views to or experience of the City Halls primary and secondary facades. There is no change to the front landscape. The building and front (west) yard remain the primary, main entrance to City Hall, functionally and visually. The entrance that is at the rear addition (east end of the south elevation), oriented to Olympic Drive, is a secondary entrance. The secondary entrance at the rear (east facade) of the center wing of City Hall, facing the courtyard, remains in place. There are minor changes to the paving and planters at the north side yard. The added parking shade canopy in the north side yard is minimalist in design and visual impact on the City Hall building and the open spaces around it. When viewed from the front, west yard and Main Street, the canopy is subordinate to the City Hall building, and largely transparent, allowing for views through to the north due to its very minimal structural profile. The primary functional justification for the canopy is as part of a building design program for the rigorous performance and certification standards for the Living Building Challenge and Net Zero Energy. The goals of building conservation through historic preservation, and sustaining the life cycle of historic buildings, are entirely consistent with and supportive of a sustainable approach. The project conforms to the guideline.

Designing new onsite parking, loading docks, or ramps when required by the new use so that they are as unobtrusive as possible and assure the preservation of the historic relationship between the building or buildings and the landscape. There are minor changes and additions to the parking, driveway, landscaping and service structures at the north yard. The new service enclosures for trash and mechanical equipment are spaced away from the historic City Hall building at the north downslope in order to reduce visual changes to the setting. The additional bicycle racks and bicycle lockers at the north and south side yards small in scale relative to the City Hall building and the side yards, and are easily removed. The project conforms to the guideline.

Designing new exterior additions to historic buildings or adjacent new construction which is compatible with the historic character of the site and which preserves the historic relationship between the building or buildings and the landscape. An addition to the historic building on the east side and the addition of a canopy to the north side do not change the relationship to the existing landscape at the north, south, and west. The proposed design conforms to the guideline.

Removing non-significant buildings, additions, or site features which detract from the historic character of the site.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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There are minor alterations to the landscape at the north and south side yards. The proposed design conforms to the guideline.

Not recommended: Removing or radically changing buildings and their features or site features which are important in defining the overall historic character of the property so that, as a result, the character is diminished. The historic building and open spaces will not be radically changed. The project conforms to the guideline.

Introducing a new building or site feature that is out of scale or of an otherwise inappropriate design. Among the suggestions and case studies provided for the interpretation of Standard 9 and Preservation Brief 14 are additions placed at the rear of buildings, and subordinating the scale (e.g., height, mass), lines of sight, and levels of material quality and detail so as to be “in scale,” and “appropriate.” No two buildings, settings, or historic contexts are identical; the written criteria allow for a broad range of responses, and Preservation Brief 14 in particular is useful in illustrating what may or may not meet Standard 9. The project places a relatively large addition at the rear of the building. The addition is minimally visible from the front (west), primary façade of City Hall and the north and south side yards because the site lines from the ground view of pedestrians and vehicles hide the addition. The height and mass of the addition are comparable to the original wings, and subordinated by the rear placement. The building addition is skinned with glazing and metal frames of high quality and durability. The proposed design conforms to the guideline.

Introducing new construction onto the building site which is visually incompatible in terms of size, scale, design, materials, color, and texture; which destroys historic relationships on the site; or which damages or destroys important landscape features. There are many interpretations of compatibility in architectural design, ranging from subtle differentiation of historic vocabulary and materials, to metaphorical references to building character, use, setting, landscape and topography, to visual “dialogue” of forms and meanings between old and new. An eloquent expression by historic architect Michael Mills, in describing American practice, is that the extremes of slavish historicism and high contrast are seldom acceptable or successful. There are good examples of widely varying approaches, and we avoid guiding design solutions in any direction of style. An ideal is

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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new architecture of its time that is worthy of the architectural quality of a practice as good as that of Donald Parkinson, that will itself also stand the test of time and be admired in the future. “Subordination” of an addition should not be design that is lesser in quality as the original, but that honors the original. The original City Hall is simple and orthogonal, with elegant but subtle and low relief. The east addition is simple and orthogonal, and combines transparency, translucency, and opacity, rendered in light hues that do not contrast with the City Hall’s white walls. The addition uses entirely modern technology in glass and metal, expressive of the 21st century, while meeting new imperatives for sustainability through passive utilization and management of heat and light. The added photovoltaic shade canopy on the north side is small in scale compared to the City Hall building, and is largely transparent due to its simple, minimalist structural support. The City of Santa Monica is a leader in the adoption of sustainable building criteria; this a significant cultural association over time. The current proposal demonstrates the application of the most stringent criteria: the Living Building Challenge and Net Zero Energy. The proposed design conforms to the guideline.

Setting (District/Neighborhood))

Recommended: Retaining the historic relationship between buildings and landscape features of the setting. For example, preserving the relationship between a town common and its adjacent historic houses, municipal buildings, historic roads, and landscape features. Alterations/Additions for the New Use: Designing and constructing new additions to historic buildings when required by the new use. New work should be compatible with the historic character of the setting in terms of size, scale design, material, color, and texture. Refer to the comments above.

Not recommended: Removing or radically changing those features of the setting which are important in defining the historic character. Refer to the comments above.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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Destroying the relationship between the buildings and landscape features within the setting by widening existing streets, changing landscape materials, or constructing inappropriately located new streets or parking. No streets are widened; no significant landscape materials are changed, and no new streets are proposed. The project conforms to the guideline.

Introducing a new building or landscape feature that is out of scale or otherwise inappropriate to the setting’s historic character, e.g., replacing picket fencing with chain link fencing. Refer to the comments above. The project conforms to the guideline.

Introducing new construction into historic districts that is visually incompatible or that destroys historic relationships within the setting. Does not apply.

Preservation Brief 14

In addition to the Standards and Guidelines for Rehabilitation, the National Park Service publishes a series of briefs that includes Preservation Brief 14, New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns, revised in 2010. Among the concepts presented are a balance between differentiation and compatibility, and subordination of the new to the old. There is some redundancy among the Standards, Guidelines, and Preservation Briefs, but we have purposefully incorporated references from all because of the importance of addressing a major building addition while meeting the Standards for Rehabilitation. Following are two excerpts from Preservation Brief 14.

There is no formula or prescription for designing a new addition that meets the Standards. A new addition to a historic building that meets the Standards can be any architectural style—traditional, contemporary or a simplified version of the historic building. However, there must be a balance between differentiation and compatibility in order to maintain the historic character and the identity of the building being enlarged. New additions that too closely resemble the historic building or are in extreme contrast to it fall short of this balance. Inherent in all of the guidance is the concept that an addition needs to be subordinate to the historic building.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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The intent of this Preservation Brief is to provide guidance to owners, architects and developers on how to design a compatible new addition, including a rooftop addition, to a historic building. A new addition to a historic building should preserve the building’s historic character. To accomplish this and meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, a new addition should: •

Preserve significant historic materials, features and form;

•

Be compatible; and

•

Be differentiated from the historic building.

The proposed project will preserve historic materials, except for the fire station vehicle bay. The historic building is altered, but does not lose its significant character. The compatibility of the addition, as studied in scale, materials, color, and three-dimensional representation is found on the basis of scale, form, subordinated location, and color. The new exterior materials and patterns are clearly differentiated from the historic building.

In the event of the proposed removal of the historic fire station vehicle bay for the construction of the addition on the east (rear) side of the extant structure: structure : Refer to comments regarding Rehabilitation Standard 2, above. 4. Create an addition that is designed to be compatible with the historic City Hall Refer to comments regarding Rehabilitation Standard 9, above. 5. Outline the project issues with respect to potential benefits and impacts

Potential benefits: a. Comprehensive plan for the retention and treatment of remaining characterdefining spaces and features b. Removal of non-significant and incompatible features at the interior of the historic building c. Long term continued use of the historic City Hall building as the center of civic life in Santa Monica

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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d. Closing the view to the east of the City Hall courtyard to an incompatible building elevation and poorly defined views and hardscapes, and replacing it with a coherent fourth wall e. Sustainability through continued use and operation of an existing building and its infrastructure, rather than replacement and/or relocation (as would be demonstrated by life-cycle analysis to provide comprehensive comparisons between the use of embodied energy/carbon, operating use, maintenance, and cyclical rehabilitation, versus the same parameters for new replacement construction).

Potential impacts: a. Loss of historic fabric by demolition of historic fire station vehicle bay b. Damage to City Hall during construction if there are not adequate specifications for protection

6. The project development will keep in mind that: where new work intersects historic finishes, the replacement; repair and/or preservation of the historic finishes has priority; historic finishes shall be protected during construction; identify historic finishes or other elements; and materials used for repair of existing finishes should meet or exceed the same quality as the existing finishes. We will assist FFP in identifying significant materials and finishes, and providing model specifications and/or referrals for protection and treatment, and monitor that work.

MEMORANDUM

Santa Monica City Services Building Schematic Design Historic Project Review HISTORIC RESOURCES GROUP 12 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91105-1915 Telephone 626 793 2400, Facsimile 626 793 2401 historicla.com

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