Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Design Guidance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning staff gives training on architectural 'elements of design' to commission
Summary
Craig Nikitas presented an illustrated training on architectural terminology—massing, siding, height and bulk, scale and proportion, fenestration and detailing—and said the department will continue trainings to improve design review consistency. Public commenters urged attention to topography and context.
Craig Nikitas of the Planning Department presented an instructional briefing on the elements of architectural design, intended to help commissioners and staff use consistent terminology when reviewing projects.
Nikitas walked through paired concepts — siding and massing; height and bulk; scale and proportion; shape and form; structure and materials; rhythm and pagination; fenestration and detailing; symmetry and balance; context and style; complexity and coherence; and composition and movement — and showed illustrative examples. He said the training will inform future technical staff sessions and design reviews.
Public commenters praised the training and raised local design issues such as San Francisco’s topography, corner building exceptions, and the balance between continuity and delightful variation. Commissioners thanked staff and said they would use the terminology in future reviews.
