Located in Belmont, California, within walking distance to Caltrain, the Wren is sited in the Belmont Village Planning Area, which envisions a vibrant town center for the Bay Area city. A primary goal of the project is to navigate a shift in scale and building typology from active downtown to residential neighborhood. The architectural language takes cues from the surrounding bungalows and low-rise apartment buildings in both its form and materiality. Gabled roofs give the project a distinctly residential character while thoughtfully modulated facades break down the massing.

The base of the building adapts to its adjacent contexts. Active-use space with generous glazing and large canopies fronts the public side of the building, while ground story units with private stoops and landscape buffers meet the street on the residential sides of the site. Textured cladding wraps the first two stories of the building, contributing to a comfortable pedestrian realm experience, and warm white stucco defines the upper gabled volumes. A community garden on a prominent corner of the site promotes connection to the neighborhood, and a third story courtyard offers residents a landscaped amenity deck that opens up toward the heart of Belmont.