In the early 1980’s with the customary dearth of commissions for a young architectural practice Massimo Vignelli had designed a series of prototypical houses. These were specifically affordable houses, houses that could be built inexpensively, but without the onus attached to “cheap housing.” Fundamental to the design was the notion that these dwellings should have resonance with what is deeply recognized in all peoples as “house.” Massimo noted that the concept, indeed, the word “friendly” as applied to an object was unique to the English language and that these houses with their simple geometry and pitched roofs embodied the idea, from which was born this book.

20世纪80年代初，由于经常缺乏委托，成立不久的马西莫·维格内利建筑事务所设计了一系列典型房屋。这些房屋是专门的经济适用房，以低廉的成本建造，但无需承担“廉价住房”的责任。设计的基本理念是这些住宅应该与所有人都深深认同的“房子”产生共鸣。马西莫（Massimo Vignelli）指出，事实上“友好”这个词应用于一个物体是英语中独特的，这些房屋以其简单的几何形状和倾斜的屋顶体现了这个想法，这本书就是由此诞生的。