University of Minnesota

In many homes, a lower level serves as a jack-of-all-trades­—entertainer, laundress, mechanical equipment keeper and storage minder. With the help of MA Peterson Designbuild, custom builders and remodelers, an Edina couple transformed their lower level to reflect current and future needs of their young family.

University of Minnesota researcher Lauren Martin is happy to make her home in Edina. “It’s a peaceful retreat,” she says. A lot of Edina residents would echo that sentiment, but Martin has more reason than most to appreciate her suburban sanctuary. Martin is the director of research for the Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center and is affiliated faculty in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Her research focuses on sex trafficking.