Todd agrees, adding: “A-frames are typically symmetrical around the ridgeline and of course have a very steep roof pitch so the walls form the roof on two sides. It’s a really bold geometry. Windows are often found at the gable ends, but on more days Skylights can be added to the roof to produce light and usable space.

What are the defining features of the A-frame house?

External features

• Steep, gabled roofs touching the ground
• Large windows, usually triangular in shape
• skylights
• wood veneer

Internal features

• high ceilings
• open beams
• open floor plans
• loft spaces

What is the history of A-frame houses?

From Japanese gassho farmhouses to Swiss ski chalets and Māori marae in New Zealand, A-frame style structures have been built around the world for centuries. “The Japanese farmhouse typology dates back to the Edo period between 1603 and 1868,” says Hammer. “These structures arose as a way of enclosing elevated areas for the rearing of silkworms; common working and living spaces were placed at the edges. “The steeply pitched roof resembles the pose of two praying hands, hence the name gassho.” (Gassho is a symbolic hand gesture that involves bowing by bringing the palms together.)

The first A-frame house in the United States was built by Austrian architect Rudolf Schindler in 1934. Lake Arrowhead, California house built by Gisela Bennati, built during World War II. After World War II it led to a boom in A-frame construction across the country. Architects such as Henrik Bull, whose A-frame cabin in Stowe, Vermont, was built in 1953, and Andrew Geller, whose A-frame beach house in Long Island, New York, was completed in 1955, helped spread this trend with their vacation homes. designs.

A-frames have historically been quick and easy to build, making them popular choices for second homes.

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