Tag Archives: A-frame cabins

This architectural design joins two A-frame cabins together by a glass sky bridge!

Posted on by

The Gisoom Cabin is a 3D architectural visualization from designer Soheil Kiani that features two A-frame cabins joined together by a glass sky bridge.

3D visualizer Soheil Kiani is known for his moody, maximalist architectural renderings. His latest 3D design, a lakehouse formed by two symmetrical A-frame cabins that are connected by a glass sky bridge, is envisioned in the foothills of Gisoom forest near the city of Talesh, Iran. Conveniently located near the forest’s beginnings and Gisoom Beach, Kiani’s 3D rendering is designed to immerse guests and residents in the beauty of the natural forest and all that it has to offer.

Defined by north and south-facing facades that are formed entirely from glass, Kiani’s Gisoom Cabin was visualized so that these facades collect the most amount of natural sunlight and are oriented for the best views of the surrounding forest. The glass facades are also complete with an expansive set of eaves that offer some protection on days when the sunlight might be too bright. Following the eaves to the shingled facades, dark brick comprises Kiani’s sloping roofs to bring out a direct contrast to the light wood that makes up the cabin’s eaves and interior spaces.

When conceptualizing his lakehouse, Kiani looked to thermowood, concrete wood textures, and glass to make up the bulk of the cabin’s prospective building material. In order to highlight these building materials and to bring out the wood’s warmer profile for the 3D visualization, Kiani injected his renderings with a soft lighting scheme. This lighting scheme also emphasizes the cabin’s main structural elements, concrete, and steel, two building materials known for sturdiness and durability amidst wild landscapes and unpredictable weather.

Designer: Soheil Kiani

Soheil Kiani used SketchUp, Lumion, and Adobe Lightroom for his 3D renderings.

The building comprises 206m2.

The main materials used in these cabins are thermowood, concrete wood texture, and glass.

The post This architectural design joins two A-frame cabins together by a glass sky bridge! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This elevated prefab cabin has a buffer zone that helps protect it against harsh climate!

Posted on by

Think of this cabin as a safehouse for when you are facing harsh weather conditions. Cara R is perched in the Andes Mountains in Southern Chile giving views of the vast parklands and nature reserves. It is the ideal destination to be immersed in nature but the area is also known for its extreme climatic conditions and that is exactly what Cara R’s design aims to guard against – nothing can stand between you and a cozy night at your cabin in the woods!

Felipe Lagos is a Chilean architect of the Santiago–based studio TuCroquis who has previously designed many local homes that take the rapidly changing weather into account. Casa R is an extension of that range, it is a modular holiday cabin residing in the middle of a lush forested site.

On the first floor, there is a woodshed and a chiflonera.” This area between the interiors and exteriors is commonly found in Chilean or Patagonian homes because it helps to regulate the extreme temperature changes that occur in that region. It features a steel frame because stell is both water and fire-resistant!

The 1,033-square-foot cabin also has a buffer zone (locally called chiflonera) which is an area between the interior and the exterior, commonly found in traditional homes there so that it can regular internal temperatures based on the harsh climate.

TuCroquis’ interior designer Ramón Vallejos furnished the cabin with a plywood kitchen, durable furniture from MueblesSur, and washable cushions that can be used both indoors and out. The kitchen area, living/dining spaces and a bathroom are all located on the first floor.

Some of the cabin’s modules have enclosed walls while others are left open for better connection to the outdoors. “The cabin is elevated from the ground and has slopes on the terraces and two floors. The slopes blend with the natural terrain and help reduce costs in foundations. The roof also has a steep slope to protect it from snowfall in the winter,” explains Lagos. The minimal design doesn’t fully express Casa R’s durability but I would love to see it integrate more sustainability or clean energy in its design considering it is all about preserving ecosystems.

Designers:: Felipe Lagos (architecture) and Ramón Vallejos (interior)

The post This elevated prefab cabin has a buffer zone that helps protect it against harsh climate! first appeared on Yanko Design.

These sustainable DIY flatpack cabin kits let you build your dream off-grid cabin with your own two hands!

Posted on by

Backcountry Hut Company released a collection of DIY A-frame cabin kits that allows buyers to build their own cabins without construction permits and little to no heavy machinery.

For the past couple of years, spending the winter months in an A-frame cabin somewhere in a snow-covered forest has been at the forefront of our minds. While we’re all itching for a wintry escape, the feasibility of building our own cabin always feels just out of reach. While prefabricated cabins and campers-turned-tiny-homes are exciting options if you’ve got the funds, Backcountry Hut Company designed a more cost-effective answer for the rest of us. Designing a collection of DIY off-grid cabin kits, Backcountry Hut Company made the cabin of our dreams a reality in four different models.

Each cabin ‘system,’ comes prefabricated in a flat-pack layout that can be assembled either by amateur or professional builders depending on the model. System 00 is described as Backcountry’s “essentialist A-frame shelter.” Stocked with only the essentials, System 00 measures 10’x10’ and was designed to welcome living spaces such as a single bedroom with room for one sleeping bunk, a meditation studio for yoga, or an open space for working on art.

Backcountry’s smallest cabin, System 00 was designed to be self-assembled by a team of four to five builders within a week. Requiring no heavy machinery, System 00 is the only cabin from Backcountry’s catalog that does not require a construction permit.

System 01, the older sibling to Backcountry’s essentialist A-frame cabin, comes in at 18.5’x10’, providing more than enough space for a family or group of friends to live comfortably with enough space for living and sleeping. With the right set of professional builders, System 01 can be put together with little to no mechanical assistance in less than one week. The type of cabin that Goldilocks would call, “just right,” System 01 strikes the perfect balance between tiny living and spacious ceilings.

System 02, the largest cabin design from Backcountry is their most customizable. Rising to two stories, System 02 also measures 18.5’x10’, providing more than enough space for a couple of bedrooms and accompanying ensuite bathrooms. Each cabin is built to withstand all weather elements and conditions, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

Inspired by Nordic sauna culture, Backcountry was sure to include a DIY kit for those who’d prefer more of a tiny spa to a tiny cabin. System S is Backcountry’s representative sauna structure, measuring 8’x10’. Lined with sustainably sourced cedar, Backcountry customers can rest assured each cabin design is first built with timber that has been certified by Forest Stewardship Council. While the beds are left to the smaller cabins and the larger System 02 home, up to six adults can sit back and relax in System S to enjoy the sauna’s Tylo Sense Pure 8 heating system.

Designer: Backcountry Hut Company

The post These sustainable DIY flatpack cabin kits let you build your dream off-grid cabin with your own two hands! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This nontraditional A-frame style cabin blends classic and modern design elements for an inspired new look!

Posted on by

Pisqal is a small, bilevel concept residence envisioned on the beach and inspired by the traditional A-frame cabin, hosting a myriad of classic and contemporary design elements that give Pisqal its distinct, alternative look.

Usually with A-frame cabins, what you see is what you get. From the outside, an A-frame cabin’s general floor plan can be figured out with few surprises. There’s a cozy appeal found in the familiarity and simplicity of A-frame cabins. Borrowing the A-frame cabin’s traditional shape and charming feel, architects Yaser Rashid Shomali and Yasin Rashid Shomali from Shomali Design Studio conceptualized an inventive A-frame cabin called Pisqal that incorporates abstract structural elements, giving the traditional cabin a contemporary twist.

Split evenly between two floors, Pisqal comprises around 70-square-meters in area, forming a cubic frame that backdrops the cabin’s A-frame style eaves. The designers behind Pisqal chose a cubic frame to border the cabin’s A-frame style eaves to create more interior space. Inside the cabin, the Shomali designers gave the home an open-floor layout, with the living areas contained to the first floor and the main bedroom occupying the entire top floor. With such an open-air layout, quirky design elements were incorporated like a ladder that replaced a traditional staircase, bringing residents from the cabin’s ground floor to its loft bedroom.

Envisioned on a beach, even the location of Pisqal challenges the A-frame cabin and brings it into a new light. Following the open feel throughout the house, Shomali Design Studio squared each room off with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that bring guests up close and personal to the outdoor seaside views. Interior design elements like white linen curtains and unfinished wooden walls also help to brighten up each room, collecting pools of natural sunlight that pour in through the glazed windows.

Designer: Shomali Design Studio

This prefab glamping cabin can be flat-packed to provide a cozy oasis when trekking in extreme weather!

Posted on by



If you are ever lost while trekking in harsh weather in Iceland, then you should pray and hope to find refuge in a glamping oasis like the Skyli Trekking Cabin. Skyli means “shelter” in Icelandic and it can provide shelter to 15 mountaineers at a time. The angular structure features four gabled roofs and resembles a tent but is actually clas in a steel facade to protect you from the weather. The bright blue color makes it easily visible in the rugged landscape while also paying homage to the architecture of the country’s capital. The designers imagine all components being pre-fabricated so that they could be transported flat, winched underneath a helicopter, and constructed in situ – a process Utopia Arkitekter estimates would take between two and three days.

Swedish firm Utopia Arkitekter employed a team of innovative architects that worked with sustainable materials in their buildings. “Skýli is designed for pristine environments where sustainable development is of the highest importance. Materials need to be eco-conscious, while also resistant to extreme weather,” explained Mattias Litström, founder and creative director of Utopia Arkitekter.

The interior is lined with cross-laminated timber and features enough fold-out beds for up to 15 people, water, power, and even emergency supplies. Beneath each peak, large triangular windows take advantage of the surrounding scenery. Its prefabricated design allows for materials to be easily transported by helicopter. Once they’re delivered, the assembly can be completed in as little as a couple of days.

These pitched roofs give the building a tent-like shape. The shape also resembles traditional Icelandic huts, whilst the bright blue is a nod to the colorful architecture of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. The Skýli trekking cabin features sharp pyramidal shapes, a strong, durable, and stable structure with several practical details. The triangular gables resemble a classic tent, the most basic shelter used by trekkers worldwide.

GreenCoat color-coated steel will be used in the roof because it is currently the most sustainable color-coated steel product on the market, using Swedish rapeseed oil in the coating instead of fossil-based oils. Since Skýli will be built in the mountains or in harsh, cold-weather environments, choosing materials for extreme weather is another important factor. Here, GreenCoat® steel products fulfill the highest demands.

They deliver extreme durability, resistance to corrosion, and long color retention. Furthermore, they provide building specifiers with a significantly lighter material compared to alternative solutions and have a low-temperature elongation to guarantee a clean look without buckling or deformation, for years to come.

In the gap between the steel exterior and the wooden internal walls, the designers have included a space for visitors to wring out wet or muddy clothes, as well as room for a composting toilet. Rainwater running down the sloping roof could be collected in self-draining tanks in the outer shell, providing the cabin with water that could be used for washing, or purified for cooking and drinking.

Solar panels and a battery offer enough power to charge devices and light the interior in good weather. A hand-crank generator would provide a backup on darker days, but would also double as an emergency beacon if occupants needed to call for help. In the case of an emergency, the cabin would be kitted out with basic medical supplies and a stash of food rations, stored under the benches in the dining area.

Both the inner shell and the furniture – designed to fold flat for ease of transportation – would be made from cross-laminated timber (CLT), a high-strength engineered wood. Combined with the lightweight steel shell, it would make the cabin easy to maneuver into position. The CLT and steel would also provide insulation, along with the triple-glazed windows.

A series of plinths would lift the structure off the ground, providing it with a flat and stable base, whilst minimising its impact on the natural terrain. The brilliant blue Skýli color of the roof, which will be made from GreenCoat® color coated steel, from SSAB, represents the Nordic light and ensures that Skýli is visible in the Nordic landscape. It will make the cabin easy to find, while at the same time creating a strong symbol for shelter and safety.

Designer: Utopia Arkitekter

This wooden cabin comes in a flat-pack DIY kit so you can assemble your own tiny holiday home!

Posted on by




Cabin-design company Den has launched a flat-packed, kit-of-parts for a steeply pitched cabin, known as an A-frame, that can be assembled in just a few days.

The 115-square-foot (10.68-square-metre) Den Cabin Kit has slanted wooden walls with a large triangular window. It is designed to be an ideal guest house, yoga studio or study.

Prefabricated in New York, the kit has pre-drilled holes and includes everything from the wooden structural parts that lock together, to bolts and even door hardware – details Den said make the project stand out from other flat-packed structures.

“Under the hood – or roof, ha – we have components that are cut with CNC precision, a design that slots together intuitively, and a kit so complete even the door hardware is included so you won’t need to make any trips to the hardware store,” the New York-based team told Dezeen.

“The cabin bolts and screws together and all the holes are pre-drilled making for fast assembly.”

Den Cabin Kit is designed to be built with minimal equipment including a ratchet set, a power drill, a ladder, step ladder and a staple gun. Flat-packed materials arrive stacked according to the order in which they are needed during the build, as part of an ambition to make construction as easy as possible.

“If you don’t have any construction experience you can certainly make up for it with tenacity, and a few friends to help you with the job,” Den explained.”Building something even as easy as this still requires some hutzpah mind you,” the company added. “You need to be comfortable on a ladder a story off the ground to set the ridge cap and screw in the roofing panels, and you and your friends (or team) need to be careful with the large windows while setting them in place.”

Den suggests novice builders employ a contractor to bolster the structure if it is being built on a sloped site, or in an area with harsher weather, and also to help set foundations – which it likens to the same basic requirements as a shed. The cabin is intended to touch the ground lightly so it can be disassembled and rebuilt elsewhere, and constructed without nails for the same reason.

Despite its light touch, the team said the cabin is still robust and well-insulated in harsh weather conditions. “Even though it’s ‘semi-permanent’ in this regard it’s no less a building and can withstand the harshest elements, with four-season compatibility,” it explained.

Owners can choose from three types of exterior cladding: either black Forest and silver Alpine metal or cedar shingles. They can also add a propane heater provided by Den.

Designer: Den

Traditional and cozy A-frame cabins that prove this architectural trend will never fade away!

Posted on by

There’s something about an A-frame cabin that instantly puts you at ease and makes you feel at home. I personally love cabin getaways and spending the weekend, nestled away in the woods, in a quintessential and humble A-frame cabin, is my idea of the perfect stress buster! Away from the hustle-bustle of the city, and surrounded by the warm sun, lush trees, and gentle wind. What could be better than that? So, we’ve curated a collection of super cozy and welcoming A-frame cabins that promise to help you relax, rejuvenate and connect with nature. Add these cabins to your must-visit bucket list and get planning!

Literally meaning ‘zero’ in Finnish, Nolla was designed by Falck for Finnish renewable energy company Neste’s ‘Journey to Zero’ campaign, in an effort to build a world with minimal emissions. Functioning entirely on renewable energy, the cabin is located on the Vallisaari island, near Helsinki. It has been built entirely using sustainable materials such as local plywood and pine. In an attempt to encourage visitors to maintain a ‘zero waste lifestyle’, every element has been designed with the hope of not leaving behind any carbon footprint. Covered by mirrors and supported by wooden stilts, it excludes modern commodities. Nolla is powered by emission-free solar panels, and a Wallas stove that runs on Neste’s MY renewable diesel is provided for heating and cooking purposes.

 Designed especially to bring people closer to the great outdoors, Bivvi is a modular and transportable A-frame cabin that can either be attached to your car for road trips or to a chosen foundation for permanent placement. The creators at Bivvi make up a team of travelers and adventure-seekers– they built Bivvi so that we can be too. They set out to build Bivvi after noticing the inherently immobile and expensive nature of cabins and other modes of residence for travelers already on the market. Taking on mobility as their main source of inspiration, each Bivvi Cabin can be attached to a trailer hitch and tow so that they can be transported anywhere. The team behind Bivvi even outfit their A-frame cabins with off-grid capabilities including three 600W AC outlets and a 100W solar panel, so they really do mean anywhere.

Kujdane retains the best of the old while blending it with the new – it still has that A-frame silhouette like your traditional cabin in the woods but take a step closer and you’ll see that the structure has been tweaked with modern architectural elements. Wood is of course the element of choice (I told you, cabin in the woods!) to evoke that warm, cozy, cabin vibe and is complimented with cool-toned interior details for balance. The cabin is elevated by the sloping A-frame sides which makes it look like it is effortlessly hovering above ground level without visible stilts or pillars. To keep you immersed within the natural surroundings, the front is all glass for sweeping views of the forest. The duplex-style structure has been divided into an upper zone and lower zone – the sleep and work setup is upstairs while the living kitchen and dining are downstairs. The lower floor also extends out to a small outdoor deck.

Studio Edwards’ Base Cabin gives the micro-living designs a whole new angle – literally! The angular shape of this tiny house on wheels makes it stand out while still being subtle. Inspired by the typical A-frame cabins in the woods and airstream trailers, this little home is built on a tri-axle trailer. “The A-frame is structurally efficient and uses less material than conventional portal framed buildings. Mute in its appearance and clad in black rubber makes it blend into its surroundings,” says the team. Don’t be fooled by its size, the Base Cabin comes fully equipped with a queen-size bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchenette. The angular paneling makes for a cozy bedroom setting with the A-frame roof. The roof lights help conserve energy and the accordion-like windows open up completely to make the home more spacious and airy.

Reinterpreting the A-frame cabin through a contemporary perspective, designer Amin Moazzen conceptualized Cabin of Hope, a 3D visualization of a cantilevered triplex cabin designed to function as an escape from today’s world. Moazzen’s Cabin of Hope fuses indoor and outdoor living with its main cantilevered A-frame structure that opens up to a veranda overlooking the nearby lake. Shaped like a zig-zag, all three A-frame structures that give rise to the Cabin of Hope are connected at the cabin’s wooden deck base and interwoven outdoor walkway. To achieve an air of contemporary design, Moazzen blended the traditional aspects of cabins like wooden foundations and exposed beams with more modern edges like LED window frames and optic white finishes that cool down the wood’s smokier accents. Dark wooden beams line the angled walls inside each A-frame cabin, further showcasing Moazzen’s commitment to bridging classic cottage elements with notes of contemporary escapism.

Like a lantern in the night, La Invernada glows underneath the canopies of a forest in Curicó, Chile. The small, cantilever cabin, built for weekend getaways, rests atop a distant river and displays intimate views of the sky from any one of the three floors inside. La Invernada, designed by Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados (GAAA), comes alive at night with warm, white light and glitters with tree branch shadows during the day, thanks to the structure’s clever textile combination of thermoplastic, pinewood, and mesh building material. Despite the show it gives, La Invernada wasn’t built to stand out, but blend into the forest it now calls home. During the day, the 580-square-foot home is concealed by rows of dozens of trees that create shadows between the three-tiered cabin’s polycarbonate walls. Then, come sundown, La Invernada turns into a nest full of warmth.

Designed by Sri Lanka-based Thilina Liyanage, the Ocean Cabin is a neat, A-frame cabin precariously built on a giant boulder facing the ocean. The A-frame design gives the cabin a sharp, jagged appeal that matches the rocky beach below… but the interiors are exceptionally warm and inviting, with an all-wood design, and a bar counter to greet you as soon as you enter! You’ll have to climb multiple flights of stairs before you make it in; although, on a sunny day, that should give you a spectacular view of the coast ahead of you as well as of the lush greenery behind you. The cabin sits on stilts, giving you the advantage of altitude during high tides, while the complete glass facade on the front of the cabin ensures you always have a panoramic ocean-facing view during the day.

Modern, minimal, and clean, the Lima cabin boasts an A-frame structure, although it cannot be compared to the traditional A-frame cabins we are so used to. Exquisitely pleasing to the eyes, yet highly functional, the cabin features two main areas or spaces. The two pyramid-shaped structures (which almost look like mountains, as the cabin has been inspired by the surrounding mountains!) represent these two spaces, and they are connected by a corridor, creating an open and spacious holiday home, while efficiently utilizing the square footage of the space. The living room is a beautiful communal space, wherein the residents of the home can lounge about, interact and connect. The wooden kitchen counter and dining table serve as intimate meal spots, where you can share a meal with your family and friends, and nurture the shared holiday spirit.

Committed to sustainability and green design, Eshtiyaghi’s buildings typically gleam with a minimalist polish, offering a striking contrast to the epic environments where Eshtiyaghi chooses to place them. Milad Eshtiyaghi aimed to achieve this same air of duality with Suspended House, a reinterpreted A-frame cabin that hangs off a California cliffside with the help of five high-tensile support cables. Peeking out from the cliffs of Mendocino, California, Suspended House hovers in midair. In his rendering, Eshtiyaghi conceptualized Suspended House after choosing its cliffside location. To ensure that the structure would hold tight and remain in place, Eshtiyaghi looked to using five high-tensile support cables and a large foundation mast. The large mast works by balancing the forces of gravity and gently ‘tugging’ the A-frame cabin towards the mast for it to remain upright. In addition to the large foundation mast, five high-tensile support cables securely lodge the cabin in place from all sides.

AYFRAYM cabin’s A-shaped design at first glance brings to mind childhood memories of fairytale settings, with a modern twist that makes this three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a vaulted kitchen a must-have for a weekend getaway! ‘Everything starts with the box of plans’, the company explains. ‘In other words, there will never be an AYFRAYM that is built, without first purchasing our plans so that the customer has access to all the right specs and information necessary to build one.’