Photo courtesy Elevated Spaces

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Hello and welcome to Friday Cabins, your free weekly Cabins Etc round-up of the most intriguing cabins plucked off the metaphorical pages of Field Mag, the independent digital publication for lovers of good design and the great outdoors from which this great new newsletter was born.

Behind today’s inspiring and beautiful email is me, Ellen E, who you may know from Field Mag, the aforementioned website where I write about all things cabins. From here on out I’ll be at the helm of Friday Cabins, sharing amazing cabins for all Cabins Etc subscribers. I’ll also pop into the critically acclaimed & incredibly EXCLUSIVE Wednesday Deep Dive emails from time to time, because the more the merrier, right?

Which reminds me, if you enjoy reading about cabins and adjacent content just as much as I love scouring the internet and pestering design studios for info on their latest projects to bring you fine folks, become a paid subscriber to Cabins Etc. (If you are already a paid subscriber, thank you, scroll on and skip the rest of this graf).

If you’re on the fence about becoming a paid subscriber, know that your $5/month commitment gets you exclusive Deep Dive emails, automatic entry into future giveaways (like Den cabin plans and Snow Peak furniture!) AND helps us offset the many many hours we put into creating these insightful articles and inspiring emails. Friday Cabins emails will continue to be free for all subscribers.

But back to today, and here, where we’re looking at two unconventional A-frames from around the globe—one, a thatched roof creation, and the other, a DIY project from Elevated Spaces. Scroll on down to learn more.

Photo courtesy Elevated Spaces

Build This DIY A-Frame Cabin in Two Weekends for Just $2,500

Jeff Waldman and Molly Fiffer of California-based cabin company Elevated Spaces recently built a tiny A-frame in the Santa Cruz mountains, and have been generous enough to share the plans and building specs with the public via their etsy shop. The 120 square foot A-frame is the perfect size for a backyard retreat, at-home office, or kid's playhouse. It’s easy on the eyes, and the wallet too, Waldman estimates it costs just $2,500 to build!

The design of the A-Frame and corresponding plans packages (which includes everything from 400 photos of the build process, a materials list, and a 3D model) is designed specifically with beginner builders in mind. The whole micro cabin cna be put up by just a couple novice builders in a weekend or two, and while as-built the design is fully off-grid, it's fairly easy to wire it with up with conduit if needed. Pretty rad!

Learn More on Field Mag

Image by Parham Taghioff

The Wicker House A-Frame Proposes a New Housing Model for Rural Iran

This Iranian A-frame combines contemporary and traditional building techniques for a structure that is equally familiar to the area as it is innovative. Designed by Shaygan Gostar Architectural Group, the A-frame proposes a new housing model for the surrounding area, a village outside the city of Nur, Iran. Faced with a changing climate and incoming development, the area is searching for a new architectural aesthetic, and the Wicker A-frame is one possibility.

Structurally, the Wicker House is like any other A-frame-made up layers of wood, insulation, and sheet metal make up a triangular body. But this time, a roof made of a combination of thatch, straw, and clay-a technique long used in the area-was placed on top. The thatch both helps to protect from inclement weather and marries the A-frame to the surrounding vernacular architecture. 

Inside, the A-frame takes after the contemporary A-frames of today, with cozy wood paneling, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a wood stove in the corner. More of an educational model and outpost than an AirBnb, the Wicker House shows us how architecture can adapt while respecting its roots, to prepare for the future.

Learn More on Field Mag

That’s it for now. Go forth, prosper, and subscribe to Cabins Etc newsletter

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