Inspired by the traditional architecture of mountain houses, with high and sharp roofs, meant to face storms and viscole, “A-Frame” triangular cottages have become more popular in Romania, as accommodation offers in mountain tourism.
Frame cottage. Source: Wikipedia.
Raised around 1800, in Vidra, in the Country of Moors, Avram Iancu’s parental house-which became a museum today-could be considered an inspiration for modern cabins called “A-Frame”, due to its architecture, similar to the letter A.
The ancestors of the A-Frame houses in Romania
The common element of these constructions is the roof, specific to the old traditional houses in Apuseni, which the motions, recognized as skilled craftsmen in wood processing, raised them mainly for their functionality. But the difference consists in the construction mode: while in the traditional houses raised in the mountains the roof is built separately from the walls, at the “a-frame” cottages, the roof represents their walls.
Avram Iancu’s parental house. Photo: Illustrated from the 20’s
The initial role of the traditional houses built in Apuseni, but also in other mountain lands in Romania, was to protect their residents of rains, snow and strong winds as well.
“The starting point in the construction of the dwelling of the Moț was the archaic houses built on the hay far from the village, in the mountain, inhabited only during the mowing and the wintering of the animals. There were small homes, with a single room, built of beams, with a very small window. They called moving houses ”, They showed Prof. Adela Pleșa and Prof. Simona Boncuțiu, in the study “The traditional houses in the country of the Moors. Their functions and impact on tourism”.
Houses from the Land of Moors. Source: illustrated from the beginning of the 20th century.
For his part, the historian Ion Rusu Abrudeanu observed, a century ago, that all the “mocanii” built their houses according to a distinct pattern:
“The house is made of wood. In the past, this house was beech or fir. Today, the beech is almost completely abandoned and replaced with shaped fir. The frost and the windy winds of the winter, most often merciless ”, note the publicist in the book “Moiii, the ordeal of a heroic, but unjust people” (1928).
Avram Iancu Memorial House, from Vidra. Source: Wikipedia
The houses with high and sharp roofs, disproportionate to the rest of the construction, which seemed like a huge straw or wooden cap that covered the family’s fireplace, putting it safely in front of the whims of the time, dominated the landscape of the traditional villages in Maramureș, the land of the forest and other areas of Romania.
Construction with similar roofs also belong to the traditional architecture of the Alpine regions of Austria, Switzerland, France and are comparable to those in the old settlements in northern Europe.
But the fashion of A-Frame houses, in which the roof also serves as housing walls, would have been given by the tourist huts built from the 1930s in the mountain areas of the United States. After the Second World War, the model of the A-Frame houses expanded in the American resorts, being associated with snow and protection against winter, and over time has conquered more and more tourist areas.
Fashion of A-Frame huts
In Romania, in recent years, the fashion of triangular cottages has taken over, and numerous new buildings seem to integrate harmoniously into the picturesque mountain villages, in resorts or in isolated places, with tourist potential. In some villages in the land of the forests, among the old houses of the villagers, the A-Frame huts, used as leisure places, seem to resist the picturesque, quietly immersed settlements.
One of the oldest A-Frame houses in the US. Wikipedia
Builded relatively simple, but modernly equipped, the A-Frame huts are generally used for tourist purposes. On the reservation sites, their owners describe them as places that combine contemporary comfort with the charm of the traditional area.
The facilities offered to the guests include fully equipped kitchens, underfloor heating systems, fast Wi-Fi, private parking and fireplaces. The courts of some of them are equipped with rustic chiubes or jacuzzi, barbecues, places for campfire and hammers suspended between the trees. They are built in tourist areas, close to mountain trails, and tourists are often encouraged to bring their pets.
Depending on the facilities, the area where the availability period was built, the A-fram cottages can be rented at prices between 700 and 1,200 lei per night, but in the case of “luxury cubes”, the rates can reach 2,000 lei per night.
On sites like Booking, most reviews about A-Frame huts are generally positive.
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Cottages of Frame Wikipedia (6) JPG
“We liked this cottage extremely. It is located in a quiet area, with a wonderful landscape, an oasis of health. The cottage is made with great taste, clean and equipped with everything needed for a few days. We will return,” He writes a tourist after a stay at a cabin in Vâlcea.
Other tourists notice the modern facilities offered in the middle of archaic areas:
“The cottage is in a very quiet village. I had access to Jacuzzi and Sauna, and in the cabin it was hot and pleasant. Cleaning and everything I needed for our stay,” writes someone else.
In other reviews, some tourists were dissatisfied with the high price of accommodation and lack of internet access.
Fast construction with some shortcomings
The appreciation granted to the cabins with aerodynamic form, the reduced duration of construction and their attractive appearance caused many Romanians to consider them promising investments, especially in the areas with tourist potential.
Some of the Romanians who have started such investments reported on social networks that they spent between 30,000 and 50,000 euros for their construction. They have lifted them on wood, metal or SIP panels (structural insulated panels), sometimes in less than two months, after obtaining the necessary permits, and say they can recover their investment in a few years.
Houses A-Frame under construction. Photo: Daniel Guță
Other cabin owners say investments required a much greater effort than expected.
“With 20,000 euros you do not build an a-frame, I tell you from our own experience. It cost us 10,000 euros just to draw the current. And as a business like this to work, you have to be present there and to take care of yourself. To come and trim the grass or do various tasks in the yard, not even for 500 lei per day ”complains an owner of A-Frame huts.
Other investors point out that there are some important disadvantages that those interested in such constructions must take into account. Due to the inclined walls, the interior space is smaller than it seems and can be a discomfort, especially for numerous families. The furniture must be adapted, precisely because of the inclination of the walls, and the maintenance of the roof can become a challenge.
“If you have time to take care of her personally, as an active investment, it is a chance to deserve it. If you want to turn it into a passive investment, with minimal involvement, the yield will decrease. If you find a good ground, at a correct price, and build efficiently, there are chances to get a nice profit. If you pay too much on the field,”, Support another owner of A-Frame cabin, in a comment on Reddit.
