The Bower | Burlingame, CA

At 1095 Rollins Road, between Cadillac Way and Toyon Drive, a Burlingame site just 0.3 miles from the Broadway Caltrain Station held untapped potential for transit-oriented living. Prometheus Real Estate Group envisioned 150 new apartments there, with 15 homes, or ten percent, designated affordable for moderate-income households.

Fitting that vision onto the site called for a layered solution: five levels of Type IIIA construction over one level of Type I construction, all above a subterranean garage. Accommodating 195 off-street parking spaces meant relying on an automated stacking mechanism for 175 of them. To keep a building of this scale welcoming, the design breaks the massing into several components through depth articulation and material variation along the facade. BDE Architecture partnered with Prometheus to resolve these demands into a cohesive community, completed in 2023.

The Bower now offers residents a leasing center, fitness facility, residents' lounge, a podium courtyard and three roof decks open to all. Caltrain, SamTrans, the City's Broadway Millbrae Shuttle and bicycle routes along Carolan Avenue and Broadway connect residents easily to downtown areas and the rest of the city.

Address: 1095 Rollins Rd, Burlingame, CA 94010

Client: Prometheus Real Estate Group

Number of Units: 150

Construction Type: IIIA / IA

Year Completed: 2023

Photographer: Daniel Gaines

Modern multi-story apartment building with large windows, located along a curving road with parked cars and small landscaped areas.
A modern multi-story apartment building at dusk with illuminated windows, located beside a busy street with light trails from moving vehicles, and a clear evening sky in the background.
Outdoor patio with white tables and chairs, a fire pit, and a wooden pergola with fabric canopy at sunset.
Modern outdoor patio area with wicker chairs, potted plants, a fire feature, and a wooden slatted pergola, with surrounding urban buildings.
View of a rooftop courtyard with a small swimming pool, outdoor seating, plants, and pathways, surrounded by modern apartment building walls with large windows.
A modern indoor living space with a wood-beamed ceiling, a fireplace with a black tiled surround, and various seating including a cushioned wicker sofa and round chairs. It features a wooden accent wall, ceiling-mounted lights, and decorative plants
A modern outdoor rooftop lounge area with a small swimming pool, black and gray chairs, a gray sofa with cushions, and decorative plants. The background features multi-story residential buildings with large windows, and a clear blue sky.
Modern apartment courtyard with outdoor pool, lounge chairs, and surrounding high-rise buildings with large windows under a blue sky.
Outdoor rooftop patio with black tables and chairs, a white wall with a grill, glass railing, and a view of trees and buildings in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.