Design Guidelines : Alterations & Repairs

If you are planning to made any modification, improvement, alteration or addition to the exterior of your residence, you must review the Hemingway and Reston Design Guidelines to determine if an application is required to obtain approval for your work.  Failure to obtain approval for your work when necessary may result in expensive removal or alterations.

Hemingway Design Guidelines

The Hemingway Cluster Association Handbook (“HCA Handbook”) contains Hemingway Cluster’s Design Guidelines, which were developed by the HCA Board of Directors to provide homeowners with specifications for making changes and/or additions to the exterior of their Hemingway property. The guidelines were developed by a committee of homeowners in concert with the Board of Directors in an effort to maintain the high esthetic quality and standard of living associated with Hemingway Cluster, considering the views and values of Hemingway Cluster homeowners and of the larger Reston community.  The guidelines were approved, after slight modifications, by a unanimous vote of the Directors on September 13, 1995. They were modified in 2000, 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2023 based on a review by the Reston Association Design Review Board.

To view the Hemingway Cluster Association Handbook and Appendices (including the Design Review Application form) click here

Hemingway and Reston Design Guidelines

In addition to the Hemingway rules and regulations, Hemingway residents must also abide by the Hemingway design guidelines as well as the Reston design guidelines.

See preceding section, ‘Hemingway Design Guidelines‘, to learn about and view the HCA Handbook (which contains the Hemingway Cluster Design Guidelines).

Click here to learn about and view the Reston Association design review overview, general information about the design review process, and the specific detailed guidelines for homeowners in clusters like Hemingway.

Design Guidelines FAQ’s

Over the years, the most common questions about design guidelines have been about windows, doors, and exterior paint colors:

  • For window and/or door (including garage door) replacement: See the HCA Handbook, pp. 11, 15 and Appendices 4, 5.  Note that the pre-approved windows discussed in Appendix 4 are either wood or aluminum-clad windows.  Vinyl-clad windows have not been approved by either HCA or RA for use in Hemingway Cluster.
  • For exterior paint colors: See the HCA Handbook, p. 10 and Appendix 2