1222 Pearl Street
1222 Pearl is a 114-year-old historic building on the Pearl Street Mall—an iconic Boulder address with incredible bones and untapped potential. For more than 40 years, the entire second floor had been sealed and unused due to building code prohibitions, leaving valuable square footage dormant behind closed doors.
Our client asked us to help unlock that space and bring the building back into full, modern use—without losing the character that makes it special. Our solution began by proposing a new configuration to meet life safety and access: we added a new central staircase, creating the required egress and enabling a complete rethinking of the interior layout. From there, we reconfigured and remodeled the full 17,000 s.f. building, delivering a contemporary office environment on the second floor while preserving the building’s historic ground floor retail integrity.
To elevate the day-to-day experience, we introduced new connections to light and landscape—adding new south-facing windows and a roof deck that captures expansive Flatirons views. And to dramatically improve performance and comfort, we retrofitted the original large arched historic windows with double-pane Low‑E glass, added insulation, and installed new mechanical equipment and lighting for significantly improved energy efficiency and thermal comfort.
The result is a rare Pearl Street workspace: historic texture and craftsmanship paired with modern function—revitalized for the next chapter of downtown Boulder.