This Swedish A-Frame With a Flourish Excels in All Seasons
A sweeping roofline creates a surprisingly spacious interior for this holiday home located eight hours north of Stockholm.
A sweeping roofline creates a surprisingly spacious interior for this holiday home located eight hours north of Stockholm.
When outdoor enthusiast and tech executive Anders Smedberg set out to build a mountain getaway for himself and his two teenage children among the ski slopes of Edsåsdalen in northern Sweden, he had a clear vision. He wanted a practical and comfortable alpine home inspired by the classic American A-frame, and he called on Stockholm architect Måns Tham—whose cousin designed a previous home of his—to help him create it.
Architect Måns Tham designed an A-frame cabin in Edsåsdalen, Sweden, with ample space for Anders Smedberg and his family to host large groups for year-round outdoor adventures.
Photo by Staffan Andersson
Tham tweaked the basic A-frame concept to reflect the home’s Scandinavian context. He added curved aluminum dormers that swing out from the prefabricated aluminum roof and wood frame, evoking the kåta (huts) used by the Sámi, an Indigenous people of several Nordic countries, as well as the branches of the trees that surround the home. The front and rear elevations will also pick up the silvery hues of nearby birches as their Kebony wood cladding patinates over time.
When the family isn’t staying there, Anders, pictured here, will rent out the five-bedroom home. The exterior walls are from Kebony, the roof from Prefa, and the windows from Velfac.
Photo by Staffan Andersson
The swooping roofline allows light to flow through large windows into a spacious interior discreetly divided by sliding pocket doors. The roughly 30-by-82-foot two-level house includes five bedrooms and can easily sleep up to a dozen people, a capacity meant to give the home longevity.
"I was thinking long-term," says Anders, who lives in Stockholm but—like many Swedes—loves the family fjällhus (mountain house) tradition. "I can stay here with my kids even when they have families of their own."
The interior walls, ceilings, and built-ins are clad in Siberian larch from UPK Concept. Tham placed the glazed openings and doorways to maintain clear sight lines throughout the long and narrow home.
Photo by Staffan Andersson
See the full story on Dwell.com: This Swedish A-Frame With a Flourish Excels in All Seasons
