this rare 19th century folio-sized portfolio contains several pages of beautifully illustrated homes accompanied by their blueprints and design specifications. the design range or number for any given illustrated residence falls within their $3,000-$3,500 price range. this portfolio labeled is identified as "no. 6" and has nicely aged gilded silver lettering on the front cover that reads "building designs" in a very ornate design representative of the era. the interior pages have become detached from the binding but still retain the multitude of detailed designs with very little tearing evident. the co-operative building plan association published designs prepared by an in-house staff of architects for nearly three decades (between 1881 and 1907). the co-op was run by robert w. shoppell and sought to bring artistic homes at an affordable price. at its peak the firm employed about 50 architects, who provided free consultation to the customer who purchased a shoppell plan, priced in the range of 15 to 65 dollars. shoppell's business intended to directly challenge the rising popularity of expensive custom-designed plans. the builders' portfolio was issued in three portfolios containing 100 designs each. shoppell's designs were targeted to an audience of architects, builders, and real estate individuals and were intended to offer sufficient construction details and pricing to protect those professions from "making losing contracts." the "color sheet" for residential exterior paint provides advice on color selection, placement and application. measures 11 1/2 x 15 inches