At first glance this mountain house may appear to be three A-frames pushed together, almost like separate cabins with one larger cabin slightly off to one side. They're all joined together, however, and form this home in Alpine Meadows, California. The largest of the peaked units includes the living room, family room, and kitchen; the smaller units contain the bedrooms.
The lofty quality of the peaked areas was balanced with changes of level and space. Lofts were put over the kitchen and in the children's room, and the dining room was dropped one step to give it a ceiling of conventional height.
Many features were included to make mountain living more comfortable. Electric heating wires under the slate, for example, melt the snow on the entry walk. There's a bench just inside the front door where you can sit to take off or put on ski boots or overshoes. An adjoining closet has a warm air vent to dry snowy or rain-damp clothing. A window up near the ceiling peak in the play loft can be opened to release excessive heat in summer; in winter a return air duct draws heated air back for recirculation.
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source: Sunset Books - Sunset Homes 1967
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