Later Prairie buildings tended toward smaller structures with extensive cantilevering and more play with light. Wright incorporated light into the design through the use of clerestories and open cantilevers. Characteristics A Prairie structure combined aesthetic and structural continuity with a sense of shelter. Wright achieved a sheltering appearance through the use of low spreading flat or hipped roofs with wide, overhanging eaves. Prairie Style buildings feature a low appearance, human scale, no below-ground basement, living quarters raised above ground level, and planes parallel to the ground in order to identify with the land.
Prairie houses appear to be part of the landscape.
This type of exterior had appeared earlier in Tudor Style homes designed by Wright. The use of plaster and wood on the Bradley Residence differed from earlier uses in that the wood elements no longer attempted to represent structural members. Designs featured open plans that responded to new living patterns. The architect derived his inspiration from nature as opposed to traditional European styles. This work represented a uniquely American perspective, springing from the ideals of democracy and the landforms of the Midwest.