Section 10-C2514. AWNINGS: GENERAL PRINCIPLES

 

2514.1 Awnings provide weather protection and may also identify or decorate buildings.  Awnings shade windows and storefronts and can shelter pedestrians, but as a secondary function, they also provide an area for identifying the name or trade of an occupant.

 

2514.2 Awnings and their associated signage can significantly affect the appearance and architectural character of a historic building or district.  Improper awning installation can also cause permanent damage to the materials and ornamentation of historic facades.

 

2514.3 Awnings are not signs and should not be used as substitutes for effective signage or solely as branding elements.

 

2514.4 The appropriateness of a specific awning depends in part upon the historic district, building type, or business type involved.  Awning design should reflect the specific character of the affected landmark, building or district. 

 

2514.5 Historically, the retractable shed awning was the type used almost exclusively on Washington buildings.  Barrel-vaulted awnings were less commonly used for arched openings, and more intricate and fancier quarter-round awnings were infrequently used. 

 

2514.6 Replication of a documented historic awning or pattern of awnings is considered an appropriate preservation treatment unless it clearly conflicts with the D.C. Building Code or the Board’s design standards.  Documentation of the historical appropriateness of a proposed awning or awnings may consist of early photographs, original drawings, or similar sources.

 

authority

The D.C. Office of Planning and the Historic Preservation Review Board, pursuant to the authority set forth in section 10 of the Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979, (D.C. Law 2-144; D.C. Official Code § 6-1109), Mayor’s Order 79-50, dated March 21, 1979, section 6 of Mayor's Order 83-119, dated May 6, 1983, section III(B)(8) of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1983, effective March 31, 1983, and section 402(b) of the Fiscal Year 2001 Budget Support Act of 2002, effective October 19, 2000 (D.C. Law 12-172; 47 DCR 6308).

source

Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 57 DCMR 2281, 2293 (March 19, 2010).