Boca Raton’s ‘Glass House’: How glass architecture will gleam on new downtown building

A new 10-story luxury residential building aims to stand apart from all others rising in Boca Raton, making its mark by showcasing the beauty of glass.

Billed as the first modern glass building in the city, it’ll be aptly called the “Glass House Boca Raton.”

The building will rise high, consisting of practically identical layers on top of one another shrouded by a glass balconies, behind which are windows made of, unsurprisingly, glass.

The abundance of glass also will help the building offer stunning views. “When you have a lot of glass, floor-to-ceiling glass, it allows you to enjoy the views, whether it’s the Intracoastal, the ocean, the distance, the blue sky, the green golf course,” said Adam Gottbetter, the vice president of finance and development for 280 E Palmetto Park Road LLC.

Allowing more glass

Until last year, developers and architects were limited by how much glass a building could have because of an about 35-year-old ordinance.

But in April 2023, the city changed the ordinance to alter some of the decades-old architectural standards, including a previously upheld rule stating: “No more than forty percent (40%) of the perimeter of a building’s materials be composed of glass.” (The perimeter here essentially means the outside of the building.)

“Theoretically, you could build a glass sphere if you could engineer it,” Gottbetter said. “But from a realistic standpoint, there’s structural components, there’s mullions for glass because there’s a limit on the size of the glass when you’re dealing with hurricanes and impact-proof glass. So, it will be as much glass as as possible, only subject to the engineering limitations.”

So developers can use as much glass as they want, but it has to be strong and meet safety requirements. State law requires buildings have the ability to withstand wind forces, for example.

When Gottbetter and his team bought a parcel of land at 280 E. Palmetto Park Road in June, he said he was focused more on the “amazing location” than on trying to create something Boca Raton has never seen before.

But after learning about the city’s decision to change the ordinance, Gottbetter saw the opportunity to update the building’s appearance.

“Boca Raton wants to compete more with Miami, Fort Lauderdale, as places for people moving down and people relocating,” he said. “At a time and a place, the Mizner-type of architecture was the rage, and it was beautiful, and it still is in certain ways, but in other ways, it limited Boca Raton.”

Gottbetter does not believe this means Boca Raton will become like its southern metro counterparts defined by high-rises and glitzy towers; rather, the city is trying to strike a balnce between preserving its original charm while still attracting businesses to the area.

“You’re not going to want a bunch of towers casting long shadows,” he said. “And there’s discussions about things to encourage that. Green space, public art, wider sidewalks.”

Beyond the old age of the ordinance, the city’s choice to amend it was due to a variety of factors, including a reinterpretation of Mizner principles and an acknowledgement of how development and redevelopment in the city have matured, according to the city’s planning and zoning board during an April meeting.

Glass flexibility was not the only reform; the city also eliminated the requirement for light and pastel exterior colors. But the ordinance still maintains buildings should contribute to the downtown’s “unique sense of place” and distinguish it from other cities, reiterating the idea the city wants to promote a more contemporary feel while still keeping Boca Raton unique.

“For Boca Raton to have no limit on glass down in the downtown district really allows it to be updated, more modern,” Gottbetter said. The new regulation would open the door for “glass buildings in the downtown district as buildings get redeveloped.”

Unless one has at least $2.5 million to spend on a new home, most Boca Raton residents will only regard the building as they walk, drive or bike by, as units range in price from $2.5 to $6.9 million.

Glass House Boca Raton is considered a boutique development because it only offers 28 private residences, with the sale of those starting in February. Construction will begin in the first quarter of 2025 with a completion in the fall of 2026.

A development with less than 75 units can be interpreted as “boutique,” said Scott Gerow, the director of luxury sales for the CBG Luxury Team at Compass in Boca Raton.

Gerow said Glass House will attract people possibly looking to downsize from a single-family home and live in the city’s downtown area.

“There’s really very few options at that size to be right in the heart of downtown Boca Raton,” he said. “This will check a lot of boxes for the people that maybe want the feel of more privacy, exclusivity, larger floor plans and being in the heart of downtown.”

But Boca Raton is still missing a “true downtown,” Gottbetter said.

“The emphasis seems to be by the city elders to make Palmetto the downtown artery,” he said. “I think eventually when you go up and down Palmetto 10 years from now, I think you’ll see more glass buildings as people, developers and buyers demand more of that kind of updated living.”