3781 El Camino Real
City Council Meeting
May 11th, 2026
Introduction
Architect: BDE Architecture
• Local firm with over 37 years of experience in the Bay Area Landscape Architect: The Guzzardo Partnership
• Local firm with over 62 years of experience in the Bay Area Civil Engineer: Kier & Wright
• Local firm with over 53 years of experience in the Bay Area Development Advisors: Sares Regis Group of Northern California • Deep experience in building successful, well-conceived multi family buildings Property Owner: Giovannotto Family
• Multi-generational Palo Alto residents that have owned the land for over 20 years Building Homes for Families
3781 ECR Community Benefits
• A meaningful step toward addressing the housing crisis by adding a planned 183 housing units, including 23 affordable units, to Palo Alto’s limited housing stock
• Supports Palo Alto’s RHNA housing commitments in its Housing Element • Includes a broad range of unit types from studios to family-friendly 2- and 3- bedroom units
• Realizes Palo Alto’s vision for a successful El Camino Real Focus Area Alignment with Focus Area Goals
The City put forth a vision for El Camino Real that established urban design principles and guidelines for future projects to create a coherent and attractive corridor that supports Palo Alto’s housing goals.
In our project, we see an alignment with the goals and many of the objective standards of the El Camino Focus Area:
100%
Housing
Project
Building Scale
and Density
Below the
FAR limit
Shields visibility
of parking from
ECR
Exceeds
Parking
Requirements
Includes
Facade
Variation
Enhanced
Ground Floor
Experience
Provides
Affordable
Housing
An Infill Site with Excellent Transit Access
An Underutilized Lot in a Transit Rich Location
Existing Pedestrian Experience
Design 1 – SB 330 App, February 2024
Design 2 – Full Planning Application
Final Design – Submitted March 2026
ARB Feedback:
ARB members suggested expanding the patios at the podium level to enhance livability and activate the building's street presence.
Design Response:
Expanded the patios at the podium level, maximizing usable outdoor space for residents and strengthening the connection between the building and the street.
ARB: Expanded Patios on Podium Level
1 ARB Feedback:
ARB members recommended
adding a door connecting the
bike room directly to the garage
for improved resident access.
The City and ARB also
recommended relocating the
trash staging area — previously
within the trash termination room
— to a position adjacent to the
street to allow for easier trash
circulation.
Design Response:
Added direct bike room
access to the garage.
1 1
ARB: Improved Bike Circulation
Relocated trash staging to
Curtner Ave frontage for
efficient service access.
2 2
1 ARB Feedback:
Rethink the garage entry
materials, add visual interest to
the blank flanking walls, and
improve parking structure
screening particularly from
adjacent properties.
Design Response:
Redesigned the garage
entry to better integrate
with the architecture and
added trellises on either
side to activate the
frontage.
Enhanced parking
screening strategy using a
combination of decorative
garage materials, trellises,
and trees.
1 2
1 2
ARB: Updated Curtner Frontage
Sight Lines:
Sight lines
illustrate that
cars can see
150 ft in either
direction during
egress from the
garage.
El Camino Real
Figure 1: Calculated Sight Line Distances at Vehicle Egress Points Curtner Avenue
150 Foot Sight Lines at Garage Entry
Conclusion
183 New
Apartment Homes,
including 23
Affordable Units.
Add Vitality to
the El Camino
Corridor
Contributes to
Palo Alto’s
Housing Vision
Architectural Review Board
December 4th, 2025
Thank you!
Architectural Review Board
December 4th, 2025
Appendix
Located Per Palo Alto
Project Standard:
Palo Alto's Objective Design
Standards (ODS
18.24.030(D)) states that
"vehicle access shall be
located on alleys or side
streets where available".
1 Vehicle Egress
Site Circulation
Landscape: Materials and Plants