A Wright challenge // Suburban bungalow gets face-lift by adding wider steps and low wall in front

The late architect Frank Lloyd Wright was one of theacknowledged masters of relating a house (no matter what size) to itssite. He developed a number of design devices to help integratestructure and environment: low-hipped roofs with broad overhangs;the repetition of bands of windows, and low walls extending beyondexterior building walls to form a strong base for the house. Thesewere all characteristic devices of the master's best work, beginningwith his Prairie houses at the turn of the century.

Wright's work sprang to mind during a discussion about a "dumpy"house in the suburbs. The challenge was to improve the entrance andfront elevation of the modest bungalow. It …