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{{short description|American architect}}
'''Stephen Alexander Lesser''' (born July 15, 1944) is an American architect, in practice in [[East Hampton (town), New York|East Hampton]], [[New York (state)|New York]], specializing in modern residential and commercial buildings in the school of [[Le Corbusier]].  He is perhaps best known for his work on [[Faneuil Hall Marketplace]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/ |title=Home |website=faneuilhallmarketplace.com}}</ref> project in downtown [[Boston]], MA.

==Biography==

===Education===

Lesser was born in [[Bethesda, Maryland]], the son of Virginia Hirst Lesser, a painter and teacher of art and piano, and Dr. Alexander Lesser, a [[Hofstra University]] professor of [[anthropology]].  He was raised in [[Manhasset, New York]] and graduated from [[Manhasset High School]], where he was editor-in-chief of the literary magazine and a member of the [[National Honor Society]].  He graduated from [[Columbia University]] in 1966 with a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in Social Sciences.  He received a [[Master of Architecture]] from the [[Graduate School of Design]] at [[Harvard University]] in 1972.

===Career===

Beginning in 1971, Lesser worked at several [[Boston]] firms, including [[The Architects Collaborative]] (TAC),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/TAC.html|title = TAC - Great Buildings Online}}</ref> and ''Perry Dean and Partners'' before joining [[Benjamin C. Thompson]] and Associates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/benjamin-thompson-1|title=Answers - the Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions|website=[[Answers.com]]}}</ref>  There, he worked for two years on the Faneuil Hall Marketplace project.

In 1975, Lesser moved his practice to New York.  He joined [[Richard Meier]] Associates where he honed his Corbusian style in residential and commercial buildings. He later joined ''Rivkin/Weisman, PC'' where he worked his way up to director. In 1986, he formed ''Nagel and Lesser, Architects'' moving to East Hampton.  The practice included a broad range of residential, commercial, and industrial projects.  Since 1994, he has been a sole practitioner.

===Teaching===
Appointments: Columbia, guest lecturer in Architecture and Planning (1992–94)
[[New York Institute of Technology]] (1994-2004)

Guest Critic: [[Yale]], Harvard, [[University of Pennsylvania]], NYIT, Columbia, [[Roger Williams University]]

===Licenses===
Certified: National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, 1975

Registered: Massachusetts (1975), New York, (1981), and New Jersey (1993)

Member: AIA/National, State and AIA Peconic Chapter

==Publications==

[[Architectural Review]] "Credit DuNord Offices" November 1982, pp 46–7

[[Yale Perspecta]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architecture.yale.edu/drupal/publications/perspecta |title=Perspecta &#124; YSOA &#124; Yale School of Architecture |access-date=August 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515070621/http://www.architecture.yale.edu/drupal/publications/perspecta |archive-date=May 15, 2012 }}</ref>

[[Architectural Record]] "The Dubai Bank" January 1983, pp 85–91

[[Progressive Architecture]] "Bavarian Emissary" September 1984, 100-105

[[The New York Times]] "From Blueprint to Imprint" November 21, 1993<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/21/nyregion/from-blueprint-to-imprint-winners-of-architectural-awards.html?scp=5&sq=%22Stephen%20Lesser%22&st=cse|title = From Blueprint to Imprint: Winners of Architectural Awards|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 21 November 1993|last1 = Kampel|first1 = Stewart}}</ref>

[[Newsday]] "A Carriage Trade" October 16, 1994, pp 26–27

==Awards==

''American Institute of Architecture/Long Island  Chapter'': 
Residential,(Shyer House 1993)  
Institutional (Camp Blue Bay 1986) and 
Young Firm (1993)

''Architectural Record'': Record House and Record Interiors

''Beauxarch IV'': Commercial Project (Viking Lines, 1986)

==Personal==

Lesser lives in East Hampton with his wife, Celia, who is an attorney. They have three children: Jonathan (born '95), Emma (born '93), and Alexandra (born '88). Jon attends the [[Ross School (East Hampton, New York)|Ross School]] in [[East Hampton (town), New York|East Hampton]] along with his sister Emma. Alexandra graduated [[Hampshire College]] in 2010.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.stephenalesserarchitect.com/stephen-alexander-lesser-profile.shtml Stephen Alexander Lesser, Architect]
*[http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/ Fanueil Hall Marketplace]
*[http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/TAC.html TAC]
*[http://www.answers.com/topic/benjamin-thompson-1 Benjamin Thompson]
*[http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/ Harvard Graduate School of Design]
*[http://architect.architecture.sk/le-corbusier-architect/le-corbusier-architect.php Le Corbusier]
*[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/21/nyregion/from-blueprint-to-imprint-winners-of-architectural-awards.html?scp=5&sq=%22Stephen%20Lesser%22&st=cse The New York Times]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesser, Stephen}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American architects]]
[[Category:Columbia College (New York) alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bethesda, Maryland]]
[[Category:Architects from Maryland]]
[[Category:People from Manhasset, New York]]
[[Category:Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni]]
[[Category:People from East Hampton (town), New York]]
[[Category:Manhasset High School alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American architects]]
[[Category:New York Institute of Technology faculty]]