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For additional information on these codes, please consult with the Code Enforcement Officials from the Inspections Department and the Preservation Planner. In addition, the Restoration Specialist with the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office can provide valuable guidance during the planning stages and throughout the execution of the project.
Design Standards for Accessibility and Life Safety 1. Choose uses for historic buildings
that allow for compliance with applicable building code and accessibility requirements while ensuring compatible design and the protection of the building’s historic and architectural character.
2. Review the proposed new
use to determine the impact accessibility and life safety requirements will have on the historic building. Explore a variety of design options and select the one that requires the least alteration to the historic building and site. 3. Locate fire exits, stairs, landings, ramps, chair lifts, and other access features in the rear or side elevations where they will have the least impact. 4. Design new exits, stairs, landings, ramps, chair lifts, and other access features so that they are compatible with the character of the building or site through the use of similar materials, scale, and details. 5. Construct new exits, stairs, landings, ramps, chairlifts, and other access features so that their removal will not permanently damage the primary structure or necessitate the removal of character-defining features. Utilities Technology has changed rapidly through the twentieth- and into the twenty-first centuries. Historic buildings were built with minimal utilities, electricity, plumbing, and heat. Over time, air conditioning was added and other changes incorporated. When introducing new mechani- cal and electrical equipment, it is important to prevent damage to historic building elements and landscape features. Site mechanical equipment in secondary or tertiary areas of visual concern where they can be screened from public view. Whenever possible, utility lines should be located underground. Left unabated, mechanical equipment, transformers, power lines, and other utility structures can contribute to visual clutter and create a cumulative negative visual effect in historic districts. Therefore, it is important to consider the placement of these items holistically as well as on a case-by-case basis. A handicap ramp was added to this building when it was rehabilitated for professional use.
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