Norfolk’s Coastal Character District is a 7.5-mile-long area along the Chesapeake Bay, often referred to as the City’s “North Coast.” The bayfront is connected by local street networks to several communities, hundreds of homes, and numerous apartment and retail buildings. The district’s traditional building patterns create a unique environment that is highly valued by both residents and visitors. Several properties are ripe for redevelopment, along with a number of vacant lots. New construction on these sites has the potential to either enhance the community’s character or diminish its quality and unique sense of place.
The goal of the pattern book, authored by WPA, is to provide design guidance for both new construction and renovations, ensuring they align with the district’s distinct character and comply with the city’s Zoning Ordinance. The book was developed through a collaborative process that engaged district residents and businesses to identify the area’s most valued design elements.
Applications of the pattern book include:
- A prototype for a resilient coastal house
- Redevelopment concepts
- Guidance for the design review process
The pattern book offers additional district-specific criteria with recommendations for key architectural and landscape design elements. It also includes a “kit of parts”—a collection of architectural elements that exemplify the Coastal Character District.
