Boulder design board urges smaller, more articulated forms for 777 Broadway student housing proposal

The City of Boulder Design Advisory Board reviewed a proposed student-housing project at 777 Broadway on Jan. 14 and urged the design team to reduce the apparent bulk of the building if it proceeds with a height modification to 55 feet. The board's guidance focused on massing, stair-tower placement, increased transparency in amenity areas and extending decorative screening along the south facade.

Allison Blaine, the city case manager who introduced the referral, said the project was referred to DAB after concept review in November 2024 and clarified zoning context: "I believe the by right height in this zone is 38 and our charter does allow for up to 55 feet. Just it has to be through a site review." The applicant, Evan Borg of Tabernacle Architecture and Design, told the board the project program includes "218 beds across 61 units" on a site just over 1.25 acres, with parking beneath a podium-level floor and a proposed four-story-over-podium arrangement.

Vice Chair Rory Biloserkovich framed the conversation around the site's visibility: "You are contributing to one of the gateways to the city of Boulder, Colorado," he said, urging the team to use any height allowance to create "distinctive building" elements rather than extruding the entire footprint to a new top-of-plate datum. Several members echoed that point, saying the current presentation risks appearing as a continuous 55-foot block when viewed from Bridal or the multiuse path.

Board members proposed concrete design moves to make extra height more defensible to City Council: emphasize different materials and colors to read as multiple, smaller masses; create recesses and projections; and locate any 55-foot-high "crescendo" at a corner or central element that reads as an architectural accent. Steven Eckert warned of local sensitivities and precedent: "I would not support a height variance here because I don't see the hardship," he said, pointing to recent tall projects that have drawn community pushback.

Members also criticized placement of stair and circulation cores on prominent end caps, noting that those towers interrupt fenestration rhythm and consume prime corner real estate. Several members suggested relocating or better integrating vertical circulation so end caps can accommodate glazing, balconies or other features that reduce the appearance of mass.

On the ground plane, the board recommended carrying decorative metal screening down to the south knee wall and using vertical elements to "ground" areas where the podium reveals parked cars. Evan Borg noted the design team has already shown a metal panel and a knee wall that meets screening heights and said he would "get with the team" to pursue the changes the board recommended.

On materials, members asked the applicant to align window systems with storefronts and urged avoiding black vinyl windows because of durability concerns in Boulder's climate. Steven recommended fiberglass or aluminum-clad windows in lieu of vinyl, citing maintenance and long-term performance.

There were no public speakers during the meeting. The board agreed it was not acting as a deciding authority on the height modification but that its advisory recommendations should help staff and Council evaluate whether the project meets Appendix B site-review criteria. The DAB said it will include detailed comments in the meeting minutes; the applicant said it will refine the design and return with revisions before further review.

The board approved its December minutes at the start of the meeting and wrapped with routine board business. The DAB's formal recommendations will appear in the meeting minutes sent to the applicant and posted by staff.