When the opportunity presented itself to purchase the adjacent townhouse in Boston’s historic South End, the homeowners faced the challenge of combining two townhouses into a single residence. When Stern McCafferty undertook the project, their instructions from the homeowners were to create a space that was “open and simple, yet bright and joyful.”

The design evolved from a desire to retain the individual spirit of the existing structures while celebrating their connection through the tectonic expression of steel, brick and timber. Lateral connections were created by exposing the means of support where bearing walls were removed, and vertical connections between more formal and less formal spaces were created with acrylic framed openings in the floors. The floor plates were modest in size, and custom furniture, cabinets and sliding panels were designed to allow rooms to accommodate multiple functions.