This article focuses on the design and construction of small houses in the USA during the interwar period. The premise of this work is that the developments which took place during this time inform an understanding of how single-family house design has evolved to this day in the USA, where architects are little involved in the design of most single-family houses. As the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the primary organization representing the architecture profession in the USA, an examination of the historical positions taken by the membership of the AIA with regard to single-family houses was undertaken. The AIA's single concentrated effort towards improving single-family house design was expressed through its endorsement of the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau (ASHSB) between 1922 and 1934; thus this relationship will be discussed in detail as revealed through archival documents of the AIA and the ASHSB.
As the only plan book service ever endorsed by any professional design organization and as the only plan book group composed entirely of licensed architects, the Architect's Small House Service Bureau holds a significant place in the history of domestic design in the USA.
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