This investigation into such a structure led to the creation of Johansen House #1 in 1950, which was included in the Museum of Modern Art exhibit “Built in the U.S.A.”  In 1955, his second box was built, this time a glass box; the McNiff House. In some of his houses, Johansen utilized Palladian elements such as the grotto, the classic cross plan, and the Palladian prototype of the central pavilion linked by low bridges to flanking pavilions. The Palladian prototype is most noticeably present in Villa Ponte, or the Warner House, built in 1957 in New Canaan, Connecticut.
This investigation into a structure similar to this led to the creation of Johansen House #1 in 1950, which was featured in the Museum of Modern Art's “Built in the U.S.A.” exhibition. The subsequent construction of his second box-like dwelling, the McNiff House, in 1955 showcased Johansen's design evolution. In some of his homes, Johansen incorporated Palladian elements, such as the grotto and cross plan, which are prominently displayed in Villa Ponte, or the Warner House, built in 1957 in New Canaan, Connecticut.