Base Height
Base height is the maximum permitted height of the front wall of a building before a required setback, and some districts impose both maximum and minimum base height rules depending on context. It is a streetwall-forming mechanism in contextual zoning frameworks.
- Where it applies
- New York City
- When it comes up
- Massing; design development
- Property types
- Multifamily and mixed-use; contextual districts
In practice
Base-height design is where operators reconcile "neighborhood scale" controls with efficient building systems (core, mechanical zones, egress).
Related terms
Zoning and Land Use
- Air Rights
- Area Variance
- As-of-right Development
- Authorization
- Base Plane
- Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA)
- Building Envelope
- Bulk
- Certification
- Commercial Overlay
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.