Building Articulation
San Diego Municipal Code § 131.0554
in effectWhere building articulation is required by Tables 131-05C, 131-05D, or 131-05E, the
following regulations apply.
(a)
All building elevations fronting a public right-of-way shall be composed of
offsetting planes that provide relief in the building facade by insetting or
projecting surfaces (planes) of the building. The minimum number of
offsetting planes and the minimum horizontal separation between planes is
based on the length of the new building facade, as shown in Table 131-05F.
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Table 131-05F
Offsetting Plane Requirements
Length of New Building Façade
Number of Offsetting Planes Required
25 ft or less
2 with a minimum separation of 3 inches
More than 25 ft. but less than or equal to 50
ft
4 planes consisting of :
2 with a minimum separation of 3 inches, and
2 with a minimum separation of 8 inches
More than 50 ft. but less than or equal to
100 ft
6 planes consisting of:
2 with a minimum separation of 3 inches, and
2 with a minimum separation of 8 inches, and
2 with a minimum separation of 3 feet
More than 100 ft
6 planes consisting of:
2 with a minimum separation of 3 inches, and
2 with a minimum separation of 8 inches, and
2 with a minimum separation of 3 feet, and
plus
1 additional plane for each 50 feet of building
facade length over 100 feet (maximum of 3
additional planes required with a minimum
separation of 5 feet).
(1)
For purposes of this section, the area of a plane may include separate
surfaces that are non-contiguous but which all lie in the same plane.
Each numbered surface of the building shown in Diagram 131-05F
represents a different plane of the building facade. The sum of the
area of each plane labeled with the same number in Diagram 131-05F
is the total area of that plane.
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Diagram 131-05F
Building Articulation
Roof line
min 3:12 slope
4'
8'
2
5
6
1
4
4
3
1
2
2
2
3
Pedestrian Entrance
Cornice
Structural cantilever
(2)
For purposes of this section, an offset is the distance between two
different planes of a building facade measured perpendicularly to the
plane surface (for example, the dimension between plane 1 and 2 in
Diagram 131-05F).
(b)
Where a 3-inch or 8-inch offset between planes is required, the total area of
any single offsetting plane shall be more than 5 percent and less than 50
percent of the total building facade area on that frontage.
(c)
Where a 3-foot or 5-foot offset between planes is required, the total area of
any single offsetting plane shall be more than 10 percent and less than 50
percent of the total building facade area on that frontage.
(d)
The following elements of a building facade may be used to satisfy any one
required building plane:
(1)
Roofs with a minimum pitch from eave to peak of 3:12 (3 vertical feet
to 12 horizontal feet) and a minimum area of 10 percent of the building
elevation fronting on a public right-of-way;
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(2)
Pedestrian entrances with a minimum offset dimension of 4 feet from
the primary plane of the building facade and a minimum width of 8
feet;
(3)
A cornice equal to at least 70 percent of the length of the building
facade that has a minimum offset of 1 foot, located along the street
wall; and
(4)
Structural cantilevers with combined lengths totaling at least 30
percent of the length of the building facade, with an average offset of
at least 2 feet, located along the street wall. Roof eaves do not count
as offsetting planes.
Source: amlegal_browserURL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sanfrancisco/latest/sfplanning/Fetched: 6/28/2026