A-Frames, Explained: A Look Back at the Style from the 1930s to Now
Here’s a quick tour of the evolution of our favorite alphabetical architectural style.
From the Sunset Archives. Photo by Ernest Braun.
In 1934 Rudolph Schindler designed what is now recognized as the first A-frame, a Lake Arrowhead vacation home that simplified and modernized the Norman-style architecture required by the housing tract his client lived in. But it was San Francisco architecture firm Campbell & Wong’s 1952 Leisure House that caught the country’s imagination and proliferated in the prosperous postwar years.
Here’s a quick tour of the evolution of our favorite alphabetical architectural style.
Know Your A-Frames
A 1957 issue of Sunset broke down the various styles of A-frames cropping up around the West.
The Style Becomes Synonymous with Snow
The A-frame’s dramatically sloped roof could tolerate heavy loads of snow and made for a perfect picture, as evidenced by the cover of this issue of Sunset from 1957.
The Geography Expands
Despite its snowy origins, the A-frame found its way into any number of climates. This 2017 Palm Springs example looks right at home surrounded by cactuses.
So Does the Palette
Jason and Laura O’Dell’s handsome, black Big Bear A-frame remodel graced the pages of Sunset in 2017 and set a high bar for Instagrammable vacation rentals.
A DIY Craze Is Born
The Backcountry Hut Co.’s System 00 A-frame is designed to be self-assembled by four to five people in under a week.
