Spruce Street Townhomes
Schematic Design to Construction
2024 to 2026
Boulder, CO
Coburn Architecture
This residential townhome development is located at the corner of Spruce Street and Folsom Street in central Boulder, nestled between commercial and multifamily buildings on one side and single family residential neighborhoods on the other.
BEFORE
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AFTER
The program of ten townhome buildings across four tiers of unit types and finish levels fits naturally into that in between condition, serving as a transitional housing type that relates to both its urban and residential neighbors. For me personally, this project holds a special place as the first project I have been a part of from the very beginning all the way through to construction, having joined during schematic design and continuing on through construction administration support as the project begins to break ground.
Throughout the design process I helped put together drawing sets for each major milestone, including Site Review and Permit approvals as well as schematic design through Construction Documents. Being involved across every phase gave me a deep familiarity with the project and an understanding of how design decisions evolve and get refined as a project moves forward. I am also part of the CA support team, which means I get to see the work translated from drawings into a built reality.
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One of my most significant contributions to the project was the stair design and documentation. With four different tiers each carrying their own design character, each tier required its own unique stair design. I modeled the stairs, set up the stair sheets, and drew all the construction details with guidance from the design team. It was a technically involved process that required careful coordination between the design intent and the realities of construction.
Tier 1 Double Stringer Stair:
Tier 1 Monostringer Stair:
This project is also required to include affordable units that meet Boulder Livability standards. I reviewed the affordable units to confirm they met all requirements and put together the diagrams illustrating compliance for the city, an important part of the approval process that ensured the project could move forward.
One of the more thoughtful site and unit design decisions was the approach to private open space. Rather than following the conventional single family model of a ground level yard per unit, the team chose to move that open space upward, providing each unit with its own private balcony with views of the mountains and the Boulder skyline.
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The ground level, in turn, is devoted to generous pedestrian circulation that makes the site feel accessible and comfortable to move through on foot, reinforcing the project's connection to the walkable urban fabric around it.
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