The getaway cabin is situated in the Dinaric Alps, 1300m above the Adriatic Sea, in the sparsely populated ‘The Wolves Haven’ spruce forest. The terrain is steep and densely forested, with beautiful views of the mountains and the valley.

The harsh continental climate, with heavy winter snowfalls, favors A-Frame as a typical and traditional weekend house typology in the area, so it was a logical decision to take an A-Frame as our starting point for this project. A-Frame’s biggest advantages are the simplicity and symmetry of its form and perceived ease of construction. Its main spatial shortcoming is a loss of usable space, due to its tent-like form. Furthermore, having only two facades that allow for the insertion of the big panoramic openings in a way predetermines its orientation on the site.

Trying to mitigate the site constraints such as the steepness of the terrain, and its advantages - the possibility for the spectacular views, brought us naturally to the radical reinterpretation of the A-Frame typology into what we call a 'Half-A-Frame'.

‘Cutting’ the A-Frame in half allowed us to minimize our footprint while maximizing our usable space. Half-A-Frame typology allows for the orientation of large openings on three façades and the possibility of a symmetrical floor plan with a full-height central space.