The Beginning Patricia and Aaron Gentry’s path to designing their mountain retreat began with a spark of inspiration during a trip to Austria in 2017. Patricia shares, “We were inspired by traditional timber frame structures and loved the ones we saw on a trip to Austria’s Lake District. We wanted a true mountain chalet, and the A-frame was just the obvious choice. Its bold simplicity won us over.” As an architect, Aaron faced unique challenges working with the double A-frame structure. “A-frames are best handled without compromising their bold, evocative forms. When studying a single A-frame, putting a door in the roofline felt like such a compromise, and entering at either open end puts a front door opening directly into a primary room— something best avoided. Stairs are another matter. The soaring volume seems to require a loft. But how to get up there? With a single A-frame, the stair is forced to muck up the central volume that we wanted to keep open with a clear flow of view and circulation.” The solution was to double down with two A-frames connected by a bridge. Aaron explains, “Creating a central space between two A-frames unlocked opportunities. Entry could be between, creating a switch-hitter vestibule that allows common entry from the lakeside, where neighbors walk up, or the driveway side, where drive-ins come and go. Here we could also land the stairs, slipping down to the garage and up to the loft without interrupting the form’s flow.” Energy Efficiency The Gentry home utilizes a concrete foundation to help regulate temperature swings. Aaron explains, “Thermal mass is a concept based on a material’s ability to store and release heat—something concrete excels at, and as a by-product, exhibits thermal lag: its temperature is slow to change. In our home, the concrete floor slab is elevated and insulated from the ground, allowing it to absorb internal temperatures, naturally buffering against exterior temperature swings.” For heating and cooling, they opted for a mini-split system and European-sourced wood stoves. “Our powered conditioning system is a mini-split system, typically more
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efficient and best suited for zoned conditioning than a traditional, central system. We also have wood-burning stoves equipped with EPA-rated, secondary burn combustion for clean and efficient heating. We used Mitsubishi, which is among the leaders in mini-split technology, and Morso, crafting wood stoves in Denmark with traditional, cast iron construction and modern, innovative designs.” Energy efficiency was a key aspect of their design, particularly in terms of building orientation and natural ventilation. Aaron elaborates, “Known principle`s of building orientation include orienting the long axis east-west as it allows for strategic control of sunlight, and here in the southeast, taking advantage of prevailing winds. One reason we loved the lot was the northward view to `Rocky Knob mountain beyond. So we put our big views north, bringing in the soft, northern light, shading southern exposures, and ventilating windows to local wind patterns.”
Natural Design Influences Aaron’s education and exposure to vernacular architecture in rural Mississippi greatly influenced their design choices. “It’s something I appreciate about my education—the approach that you don’t have to look far for learning. Traditional structures were built with time-honored wisdom and a natural, practical response to the environment. Together with a colleague, we studied and won an award for research on dog-trot houses, revealing how the dynamics of air passing through two detached volumes accelerates wind flow and creates a ventilating effect. We were also inspired by cantilevered barns – like the extraordinary one at Windfield Farm. They have practical and mysterious qualities. I believe good design can separate itself from explanation.” Design in Real Estate From a real estate perspective, Patricia believes their connected A-frame home offers