Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout005 - Building Design and Signage Narrative cushingterrell.com March 6, 2026 Community Development Department City of Bozeman 20 E. Olive Street Bozeman, MT 59771 Lattice Building – Narrative Response to Planning Review Comments 4. Building Massing and Articulation (BMC 38.520.040) The proposed Lattice Building is an approximately 80,000 square foot manufacturing, research, and office facility that requires large areas of flexible interior space to support production operations and specialized manufacturing functions. While the program requires a larger building footprint, the design incorporates architectural articulation, varied massing, and strategic program placement to reduce perceived scale and enhance the pedestrian experience in accordance with BMC 38.520.040 of the Bozeman Development Code. Primary Office Orientation and Pedestrian Interface The primary office component of the building is located along the east elevation, intentionally oriented toward the adjacent shared-use trail corridor. This placement establishes a more pedestrian-friendly frontage with increased transparency, active interior uses, and a welcoming entry sequence. The office spaces also take advantage of direct views toward the nearby Bridger Mountains, maximizing daylight and providing visual connection to the surrounding landscape. The building’s main entry is anchored along this south east-facing frontage, where architectural recesses, glazing, and canopy overhangs create a clearly defined and human-scaled entrance. The entry is further emphasized by its relationship to a prominent communication/ egress stair, which provides a visible vertical connection between floors and reinforces the activity and transparency at the primary façade. Facade Modulation Along Prince Lane Moving west along the primary façade on Prince Lane, the building mass steps and shifts both horizontally and vertically. These changes in plane break the large manufacturing footprint into smaller visual components and establish a rhythm along the streetscape. The modulation strives to avoid long uninterrupted wall planes and reduces the perceived scale of the building from the public realm. Human-Scale Transition Within the Building Form As the building progresses west from the primary entry and office zone, the massing transitions to a lower and more human-scaled portion of the building along the southern frontage. This reduction in apparent height helps reinforce the pedestrian scale near the primary frontage while also reflecting the varied programmatic needs within the facility. 2 cushingterrell.com Growth Lab Volume and Roof Height Variation At the western portion of the building, the massing rises again to accommodate the larger volume required for the growth laboratory. This component of the building creates a distinct architectural volume within the overall composition and contributes to the varied roof heights expressed across the facility. The resulting massing hierarchy clearly communicates the different functional components of the building. Material and Architectural Variation Changes in exterior materials and façade treatments correspond with the shifts in building volume and programmatic areas. These transitions further break down the scale of the building and provide a layered architectural expression rather than a single continuous mass. Through these strategies—including façade recesses, stepped massing, varied roof heights, and material differentiation—the design breaks down the scale of the 80,000 square foot facility and provides an articulated architectural composition consistent with the intent of BMC 38.520.040. 5. Transition Requirements (BMC 38.260.070) The project has been evaluated for applicable transition requirements in accordance with BMC 38.260.070 of the Bozeman Development Code. The building massing and program placement incorporate several design strategies that support appropriate transitions in scale and function relative to surrounding development. Program-Based Site Organization The building’s internal program has been strategically organized across the site to respond to both operational needs and contextual relationships. The primary office component is located on the east side of the building, adjacent to the shared-use trail corridor. This placement promotes a pedestrian-oriented edge with transparent glazing and active interior uses facing the public realm. Conversely, the growth laboratory is located on the west side of the building. This placement is driven by operational requirements, as the growth lab requires a substantial electrical supply and is most efficiently located adjacent to Royal Wolf Way, where the primary electrical service enters the site. Security and Façade Treatment Due to the specialized nature of the growth lab and its higher security requirements, the west elevation incorporates limited transparent glazing. This elevation faces the nearby UPS facility and functions primarily as a service-oriented edge of the site. Instead of traditional glazing, the design incorporates Kalwall translucent panel systems, which allow natural daylight to penetrate into the laboratory space while maintaining the required level of privacy and security. 3 cushingterrell.com Stepped Building Form The overall massing incorporates stepped building volumes across the façade. As the building moves west from the office and entry zone, the mass transitions through lower-scaled elements before rising again at the growth lab volume. This stepped configuration reduces the perceived scale of the building and creates variation along the façade. Annotated Elevations All applicable setbacks, stepbacks, and transition conditions are illustrated on the submitted building drawings, where they are labeled and annotated to demonstrate compliance with the transition objectives of BMC 38.260.070. Through the combination of program placement, stepped massing, varied roof heights, and carefully considered façade treatments, the Lattice Building achieves a building form that responds to both the functional needs of the facility and the surrounding context while meeting the transition intent of the code.