In the Spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright

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"The real problem with Frank Lloyd Wright's unbuilt designs is that when he was alive he might do some general sketches, but an awful lot of the detailed work was done at the end of his cane. He'd say 'let's do this, boys' or 'lets do that," says Phil Allsop, the foundation's chief executive officer. "He isn't there today so [this house is] not [a] Frank Lloyd Wright at all. [It's] just a design taken from a sketch." For his part, Heinz dismissed the remarks. "The drawings are of the Frank Lloyd Wright house even if they don't call it that. We're not too concerned."

The house is certainly Wright-like. The window-lined room that extends from the living room to the fireplace near the end of the cantilever reflects the "open plan" design pioneered by the architect. Wright also typically designed furniture to occupy his structures; in this case built-in seating lines the perimeter of the living room.

Balancing Modernism and Nature

Finally, the sloping roof and collection of terraces overhanging the rocks and water are quintessential Wright. There's a clear balance between modernism and nature inherent in the building. Wright's structures, so modern in form, were hailed for the way in which they blended into their surroundings. He once wrote of Fallingwater, "Any building for humane purposes should be an elemental, sympathetic feature of the ground." The foundation of the Massaro house is a 60-foot-long rock, native to the site, that cuts through the entrance and extends through several rooms, including one bathroom shower.

The house is, Massaro believes, an accurate realization of Wright's original intentions. "I believe if Frank were alive today, this would be the end result," he says. Moreover, it reflects Wright's philosophy of modern architecture, which starkly contrasts with the white walled minimalism and form-over-function approach so prevalent today.

Wright felt architecture should reflect modern life and modern needs: His then-innovative single story, open plan system helped a mother keep an eye on children as she cooked. And it is because his designs reflected such basic human needs that, even a half-century later, a home such as the Massaro House still works.

Click here to view images of Massaro House.

Paula Lehman is an editorial assistant for BusinessWeek in New York.