ABOUT A-FRAME HOMES


Our New A-Frame Cabins

A-Frame’s are Back!
These mid-century, triangle-shaped cabins are making a strong come-back.   Here’s how they started and why their popularity is on the rise.
 
The A-frame phenomenon started in the 1950’s.  As tastes in architecture began to change, architects began working with more clever forms of design, and A-frames were one style that stood out.  They were not just unique and fun, but these geometric attention-getters made a splash in a world booming with basic, post-war cape cods and simple two-bedroom ranch homes that were springing up like weeds in subdivisions like the infamous Levittown's of New York and Pennsylvania.   

A-frames were first perceived to be eccentric, but as travel became more popular, thanks to new interstate highways across the land, vacation homes started to become ever more popular.   The public found their size and shape odd at first, but that soon changed and their appeal rose quickly.  As early as the late 50’s and early 60’s they were even being marketed as starter homes.

As a vacation home, they soon became a status symbol for America’s upper middle class - those who could take time off for travel and afford a second home.  A-frames spread throughout the country because they were made available in kits and marketed as a self-assembly product.  

So why did they go from boom to bust?  Like many home styles, A-frames too started to lose their allure.  In the late 60’s and early 70’s other home styles started catching on and A-frames, much like “tiny houses” of the late 2000’s, just seemed impractical.  They tended to be dark, despite all the windows on the gable ends, and they had inconsistent comfort with heating and cooling due to the very narrow, second-level ceiling.  They also had no closets and just lacked floor space.  Plus, there was nowhere to escape to in such as small home.  The triangular roof that caught so much attention came at the expense of living space, which tired in the marketplace.
As the number of A-frames across the country began to decrease, the demand for second homes continued to increase.  So, fast-forward fifty years, when more modern A-frames started to draw attention from designers, architects and builders.    This new look quickly spread across social media and gained appeal as a whimsical vacation rental with a new generation of interested consumers. 

This reminiscent style is again finding a growing interest in mountain and vacation communities, like the Poconos.  Part of that resurgence comes from their new, fresh, modern curb appeal, which features black windows and trims highlighted by wood gable ends and linear, dark roofs.  

They've also found a following outside of the vacation market with minimalists, who value simple spaces, clean lines and cozy spaces.   

They are once again being offered as kits, but face challenges in assembly and construction due to building codes, which were non-existent in the their infancy.  Builders aren't interested because kit-type homes don't always address all the necessary construction and building code requirements in every area of the country, which creates logistical problems, increases costs and causes delays.  And framers, who are skilled at framing homes from the ground up, are hardly interested in connecting pre-fabricated parts of a house kit as if it's IKEA furniture.  So the interest and labor just isn't there for it.


A-frames, while different in both design and feel, are functionally and practically just another form of “cabin.”  They fill that same desire people have for an escape and adventure,  that is different from their typical suburban home.   Will A-frames capture the market and become the powerhouse investment that chalets have been for hundreds of years?  Not likely, but I expect, like log cabins, they’ll have a strong following and loyal customer base among admirers and investors for decades to come.

Michael Gilliar, President
Great Pocono Homes, LLC
 
What are the benefits of A-frame homes?
  • Reminiscent design with a stylish, modern look
  • A proven success in the vacation home market
  • Popular with minimalists and those that prefer small second homes
  • New homes are more conducive to additional light alternatives, like automated skylights and light tubes.
  • Lower utility and maintenance costs
  • More energy-efficient than ever before
  • Flexible floor plans, especially with reverse gable bump-outs


NOW AVAILABLE in 3 SIZES

 THE POCONO A-FRAME
$379,900 - $799,900

Plan Details: A-Frame 1
 
1261 sq ft
2-story
2 bed / 1 bath
$399,900
Carbon County pricing: $379,900

Plan Details: A-Frame 2

1770 Sq Ft
2-story
3 bed / 2 bath
$549,900
Carbon County pricing: $529,900


Plan Details: A-Frame 3

3400 Sq Ft
3-story
4 or 5 bedroom / 3 bath
$829,900
Carbon County pricing: $799,900



    Features:

  •     Custom kitchen layout
  •     Granite and quartz counters
  •     Kitchen appliances
  •     Laundry hook-ups
  •     LPG stone fireplace
  •     Zoned heating and cooling
  •     Premium wood siding or
  •     wood-grain vinyl siding
  •     Deck
  •     Metal roof (on A-frame 2 and 3)
  • Custom low-E, high efficiency  doors & windows, black exterior

    Custom tile work, interior wood ceilings and walls, wood-burning fireplace, composite decking and custom railing all optional.

Keep in mind...

  • We never take deposits on construction.
  • You never pre-pay for any phase of construction.
  • All of our plans are customizable.
  • Many changes are at no additional cost.
  • Lifetime Limited Warranty on all homes.
  • First-floor master suites are available on all models.
  • Land prep and driveway are included
  • Well and Septic are included
  • A stone fireplace is included
  • Kitchen appliance are included
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