Birmingham is home to several historic districts that embody the city’s history. The City sought to develop historic district design guidelines to aid the Historic District Commission (HDC) and property owners in assessing the appropriateness of proposed work in the districts. Following consultation with the HDC, the guidelines are organized according based on property type (residential and commercial) and further organized into guidance on topics like exterior wall materials, windows, doors, signage, lighting, and more.

As part of a team, Cassandra and Katie worked with the HDC and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to craft robust yet easy to comprehend guidelines. Extensive photography was conducted and numerous diagrams were developed to provide illustrative guidance on historic preservation concepts within the guidelines. Cassandra and Katie were part of several meetings with the HDC throughout the course of the project to receive feedback, ensuring the final guidelines reflected the particular needs of the HDC and Birmingham residents.

The design guidelines document can be found on the City of Birmingham’s website, here.