Both practical and fanciful, No. 6 Charles Street is an elevated courtyard house. As is typical of grand historic houses in the city, the ground floor is not designed as part of the principal residence. It contains three small apartments and a carport. The house above occupies 2-1/2 stories wrapped around a wonderful open-air terrace. The walls are two feet or more thick, lending a cozy sense of enclosure, while French doors bring plenty of light and air into the rooms around the terrace. The client's extensive program had to be accommodated on an 1800 square-foot urban lot. George Holt completed the house in 2002, and Andrew Gould added the sundial in 2006.