Photo by Arielle Schechter. The clients contacted me to create an outside gathering space and a new exterior monumental wood burning fireplace to an existing historic mid century modern house designed by brilliant late architect Sumner Winn in Burlington, NC. Coincidentally, I had known Sumner when I was a little kid, and he was one of my favorite people, which made it an honor to work on this project. It was very important that the fireplace and details tie into Sumner's design so that it would blend harmoniously with the existing house. And although the new fireplace needed to be extremely large to accommodate both fires and also an outside television for watching sports in the winter, the cozy gathering space it created is intimate and perfect for parties all year long. The fireplace was also strategically located to block the view of a neighbor's house from inside and outside the residence, thereby creating even more privacy for the family. The fireplace was designed with a cantilevered front and no mantle in keeping with the modernist details inside the house.