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A is for A Frame this week we will look at the A Frame style home. When considering the residential architecture design of a new home you can't go wrong with the A Frame. It bears a unique design and has a fairly deeply rooted past. It definitely has its own place in history.
The A Frame style home is defined as a triangular shaped home with two steeply sloped sides to the roof. There are little to no exterior walls as the roof will extend all the way to the ground. The eaves, or lower edges of the roof, can come close to touching or actually touch the ground. It customarily has two gables on the front and back. Gables are basically the triangular portions of the wall between the sides of a sloped roof. The front and back of the building can be covered in windows or have actual walls. Windows being the more modern choice.
While the A Frame style home had its moment of glory in the post World War II era that wasn't the first use. Many ancient cultures used a similar structure as it was easy to assemble and very sturdy. However it didn't dawn on anyone to dwell in this type of structure until about 1936 when Rudolf Schindler designed an A Frame home for a client in Lake Arrowhead, California. It was built as a vacation home but was a little ahead of its time.
It wasn't until post World War II era, when economic prosperity surged, that the A Frame style home really caught on. During that time everyone wanted a second everything including second homes. The A Frame style home with its simple yet striking modern design and low cost became an instant success. The home style was so successful that not only architects but even amateur builders came up with A Frame home plans that were mass produced so that everyone could have their own vacation home for a low cost.
Although it had an awesome design the A Frame went out of style for many reasons. Though it had significant positives including low cost, resilience against the elements, and simplicity in construction its allure did not last. In the 1970s people began to opt for more storage space and better environmental control. The A Frame style home had areas of dead space at the base on each side and was notorious difficult to heat. People began to opt for condominiums and more modern home choices.
The history of residential architecture design was definitely affected by the A Frame style home. It it the reason we currently have the modified A Frame style home. Which everyone America has seen at least once. If you are considering building a home the A Frame style home is definitely an awesome choice. Though its modified counterpart is more traditional the regular A Frame is certainly more unique
The attached image is an example of an A Frame home it is the High Sierra A Frame home and is situated near Yosemite National Park and is available for rent through Far Meadow.
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