The program called for a complete [re] construction of a typical federal style rowhouse shell. The original rowhouse was built in 1890 as a two-story single family house. Having a width of less than 12 feet, the design challenge was to create a modern dwelling for a young couple and home office. The existing front facade and brick party walls were preserved to respect the original streetscape and building type construction of the rowhouse and its neighbors. The back facade, however, was removed and expressed in a very modern way. Taking advantage of the southern sun exposure and views toward the downtown skyline, the rear facade was constructed with a 30-foot tall glass wall. This element maximized the natural light into the entire rowhouse. The design called for a third story addition and roof deck. The inherent qualities of the materials used such as glass, cypress, concrete, steel and brick were exposed and doors were deleted to allow a living space that was defined functionally yet could flow into one another seemlessly. This rowhouse embraces the history of the urban context and scale while expressing its modern design proposed for today’s city dwelling.