Boston, MA

Built for renowned economist and author Lester Thurow and his wife, Anni, this row house in the South End remains a proper Bostonian on the outside, presenting the public with a conservative brick face, but inside, it's a daring blend of the dramatic and modern. Structural steel beams run the full depth of the 4500 square foot building, extending outside to form four cantilevered balconies over the courtyard, peering over the restful Japanese rock garden below. Inside, the open riser staircase with structural glass landings ties the five levels together and creates a strong vertical statement, and at the same time allows light to filter down and play against the red Venetian plaster walls. A dining room table glides easily to the terrace in the warmer months, proving that even in New England, urban domestic life can have a place outside.

Cover Article in The Boston Globe Magazine, 9/21/02

Photographs: Peter Vanderwarker