Witty, colorful, and very much accessible by wheelchair - 1991-1992 Western Home Awards

GEARED TO THE requirements of a physically disabled professor and his family, the remodeling of this 1920s bungalow garrnered words of praise from the jury like "witty," "fun without trendy gimmicks," a project with "comfortable grace," and "a spirit f innovation."

It's most impressive because it succeeds on its own visual merits, "embracing handicap requirements as a design enhancement rather than the constraint they usually become," Jones noted.

Beginning at the sidewalk, the ground was sloped up 8 degrees, disguising the inclined wheelchair ramp.

On the interior of the bungalow, doorways were widened to improve the flow to the rear of the house. There, a clutch of small rooms has been pooled into a sunny kitchen that opens to the rear garden. Inlays of contrasting hardwood flooring playfully trace where torn-out walls used to be.

Unused attic space was transformed into guest quarters. A new master suite that extends beyond the family room is surrounded by a large deck and a raised garden, creating, as Simon observed, "outdoor spaces that are nice counterpoints to the indoor rooms."

The houses's interior is brimming with color, has an upbeat feeling, and is full of surprises such as the exposed skip sheathing overhead and the colorful built-in furniture. New features pay homage to the existing architecture while retaining their own identity; as Hood put it, "the new sits lightly on the old."