03-03-2011, 05:58 AM
Daniel,
I'd say that an A-frame can be a fine choice if:
- you don't mind your rainwater runoff blasting down off the bottom edge
- you don't mind having no windows (light or ventilation) on 2 sides, or the complexity of roof penetrations to get them
- you don't mind paying for all that roofing material (just run the total cost for a similar home with conventional roof and compare, actually the difference is probably pretty small if you're using something like metal encapsulated foam panels...)
- you don't mind putting your A-frame up on stilts, or you like waking up with millipedes curled up on you, centipedes under the bed, easy access for people to climb in your windows, etc. etc. etc.
The weirdest vacation home I was ever in was a 3 story A-frame, about 300 square feet on the bottom floor, just wide enough for a queen bed on the top. The people did it to get up high enough that their bedroom had a water view, if you love stairs you might have been able to stand that house, I think they had to haul the bed up the outside and through the window.
Having said all that, I've been kicking around a house design that's a little like an A-frame in the middle - 7/12 slope through the middle section, 3/12 slope on the outside - The 7/12 slope makes a decent loft space, lots of light and air coming in the east/west sides, and is still very close to optimal solar performance. The 3/12 slope still has "normal" walls on the north/south sides and slows down the rain runoff.