Design for a Mass-Operational House: Framing Construction

This architectural drawing by Hector Guimard presents a standardized timber-frame system for residential construction. The plate demonstrates three views—assembly disposition, schematic cross-section, and perspective detail—showing how modular wooden elements could be efficiently combined to create a complete house structure. Labeled in French as "Charpente Standard" (Standard Carpentry), the design reflects early twentieth-century efforts to industrialize building methods through prefabrication and standardized components. Guimard, known for his Art Nouveau designs, developed this system to make quality housing economically accessible through simplified, repeatable construction techniques that could be executed by standard labor forces.