A-Frame

by Chad Randl

Overview

The heyday of the national A-frame craze saw tens of thousands of these easy and affordable structures built as vacation homes, roadside restaurants, churches, and even pet stores. A-frame chronicles America's love affair with the A-frame, from postwar getaway to its recent revival among designers and DIYers. In a fascinating look at this architectural phenomenon, Chad Randl tells the story of the triangle house, from prehistoric Japan to its lifestyle-changing prime in the 1960s as a symbol of play, leisure, and outdoor living. Part architectural history and part cultural exploration, the book documents every aspect of A-frame living with cartoons, ads, high-style and do-it-yourself examples, family snapshots, and an appendix with a complete set of blueprints in case you want to build your own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616899165
Publisher:	Princeton Architectural Press
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Chad Randl is Art DeMuro Assistant Professor in the Historic Preservation Program, College of Design, at the University of Oregon in Portland. Previously, he taught at Cornell University and worked as an architectural historian for the National Park Service. He is the author of Revolving Architecture: A History of Buildings that Rotate, Swivel, and Pivot.

Table of Contents

Preface 6

Introduction 8

Chapter 1 A-frame Antecedents (to 1950) 14

Chapter 2 The Right Shape at the Right Time 30

Chapter 3 Setting the Stage (1950-1957) 46

Chapter 4 Popularity, Plan Books, and Promotion (1958-1962) 76

Chapter 5 A-frame Apogee (1962-1972) 100

Chapter 6 Beyond the Vacation Home 126

Chapter 7 A Cultural and Marketing Icon 146

Conclusion 162

Plans for an A-frame 178

Notes 196

Image Credits 204

Index 206

Editorial Reviews

"A deep-dive into the architectural style that served as an enviable yet attainable postwar emblem of a life lived more leisurely....Rereleased just in time for summer reading, A-frame not only details the origins of the style but also includes building plans and exhaustively researched information about the top industry players in different regions during the A-frame's 1950s-60s-era heyday."
- Architect's Newspaper—-

From the Publisher