As the length scale decreases, materials can undergo size-dependent phase changes. This work explores the hcp to bcc Ti transformations in Ti/V multilayers of equal volume fraction. A series of Ti/V multilayers were sputter deposited and revealed a transition at similar to 1 nm Ti. This length scale stability is explained through a series of in situ growth stress measurements that are correlated to the epitaxial orientation of the Ti and V growth directions with respect to each other within the multilayer. It was found the hcp Ti undergoes in-plane compression while bcc V undergoes in-plane tension. It is believed that the interplay of large misfit strain and the surface energy driven intermixing, quantified by atom probe tomography, contributes to the stabilization of bcc Ti. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.