Stock house plans are as American as apple pie. Andrew Jackson Downing and Alexander Jackson Davis's publication of the pattern book "Cottage Residences" in the mid-19th century, for example, fueled the first nationwide romance for suburban living. And now, approximately 30 percent of all American homes are built from stock ... Continue Reading »

Since almost the day they were born, suburbs have been criticized for their plain vanilla sameness. Is the downturn causing the landscape to become even more look-alike? Faced with declining demand for new homes and a glut of inventory, home builders are cutting house plans from their portfolios and standardizing on ... Continue Reading »

The movement dedicated to prefabricated contemporary houses didn't have a banner year in 2009, what with the May closure of mini-industry leader Michelle Kaufmann Designs. But the setbacks haven't kept architects from fantasizing about new solutions for prefab, and the remaining adventurous manufacturers from turning those ... Continue Reading »