Imagine a house with a unique design, offering bright, energy-efficient living space, all built around a simple geometric principle: the equilateral triangle. Welcome to the world of A-Houses, the innovative, eco-friendly homes that are winning over more and more enthusiasts. In this article, we invite you to discover the secrets of these easy-to-build homes and let yourself be tempted by the adventure of A-shaped construction.
Designing your A-shaped house
All the information you need to build an A-shaped house is available at: https://lamaisonena.com/
To make a success of your A-shaped home project, it’s essential to choose the ideal location. Choose a suitable plot of land on which to lay the supports for the triangles that give your future home its distinctive shape. Take advantage of the surrounding area’s assets, such as sunshine and views. Define the size and layout of the rooms based on the 7-metre equilateral triangles, the geometric basis of the A-shaped house. This modular approach will allow you to optimise space and give your interior visual harmony. Don’t forget to incorporate the principles of eco-construction into your project, to design a sustainable home that respects the environment.
The right materials for an A-shaped house
To build an A-shaped house, we recommend that you opt for environmentally-friendly and sustainable materials. Choose local materials that have a low environmental impact, such as wood, straw or raw earth. These materials will not only contribute to the energy efficiency of your home, but also to the preservation of our planet. We also take a look at specific materials for equilateral triangular construction, to help you create a solid, aesthetically pleasing structure.
Insulation with cellulose wadding panels
Insulating with cellulose wadding panels is an environmentally-friendly, high-performance solution for insulating your A-frame house. Made from recycled paper, cellulose wadding is a natural, environmentally-friendly insulation material. It offers excellent thermal and acoustic properties. It is also economical and easy to install.
Cellulose wadding panels are made from compacted cellulose fibres, to which boron salts are added to ensure their resistance to fire and insects. They are generally available in semi-rigid panels, which are perfectly suited to the walls, roofs and floors of your home.
One of the main advantages of insulating with cellulose wadding panels is their ability to provide high-performance thermal insulation, thanks to their low thermal conductivity. In winter, cellulose wadding limits heat loss and saves you energy. In summer, it helps maintain a pleasant temperature inside your home by limiting the penetration of outside heat.
La Maison en A: The film
La maison en A has been the subject of a full-length film broadcast on Youtube with English subtitles:
The key stages in building an A-shaped house
Before starting work, it’s important to find out what administrative formalities need to be completed. Once these formalities have been completed, you can move on to the earthworks and foundations for A-shaped houses. Installing the structure in equilateral triangles requires special know-how, which we’ll explain in detail in this article. Thermal and acoustic insulation of an A-shaped house is also a crucial aspect that must not be overlooked to ensure optimum comfort. We’ll also look at the roofing and waterproofing of an A-shaped house, as well as the exterior fittings and landscaping.
The advantages and disadvantages of an A-shaped house
The advantages of an A-shaped house :
You can build it yourself without any obstacles.
Unique, aesthetic design: The A-shape offers a visually appealing, original look that stands out from traditional houses.
Optimised living space: The A-shaped structure creates spacious, light-filled living spaces, with large openings to the outside and cathedral ceilings.
Energy savings: Thanks to its bioclimatic design, the A-shaped house encourages passive solar gain and natural ventilation, reducing heating and cooling requirements.
Eco-friendly materials: A-build homes are often made of wood, which contributes to their low environmental impact.
Disadvantages of an A-home:
Difficult to fit out: The A-shape can make interior layout more complicated, particularly when it comes to arranging furniture and partitions.
Regulations and planning permission: The construction of an A-shaped house may be subject to greater regulatory and administrative constraints, depending on local conditions and planning requirements.
Testimonials and examples of A-houses built
François and his wife Françoise have built an A-shaped house for their retirement. They started by building a small A, a kit that they put together in 3 days with the help of their brother-in-law and the former owner of the land. They lived in this little A for 9 months, while they built their main house. The small A cost them around €20,000 and is now used as a guest room.
The land was bought for around €15,000 and is 1936 m². They chose this location for financial reasons and because they fell in love with the land. They faced a few challenges during construction, such as the storm of 2022 that damaged the roof of Little A, but they managed to overcome them all.
The main house is built on the basis of 7-metre equilateral triangles, with a wooden structure and insulation made from Camargue rice straw. They chose to use ecological and sustainable materials for the construction. The house is heated by a heat pump and a wood-burning stove, and has a mezzanine to take advantage of the rising heat.
François and Françoise are very happy with their house and their new life in the countryside. They managed to build their house in just 9 months and enjoyed living in the small A during the construction. They would recommend this approach to anyone wanting to build their own home.
Conclusion
These are the key points to remember if you want to build a successful A-frame home. By following our advice and taking inspiration from our examples, you’ll be ready to embark on the A-home adventure. So don’t wait any longer and let yourself be seduced by this exceptional home, combining design, comfort and respect for the environment!
