The Four

The Four is the largest AFRME, and the only one with the garage inside the shape. The first level holds two cars, the entry and utilities behind two black doors at the base of the gable. Living, dining and kitchen sit on the second floor behind the first balcony; the third floor lands at the knee line, the widest point of the house, with bedrooms opening onto the widest balcony; the fourth floor takes the whole apex, a tall room with bedrooms or a studio and a small balcony at the peak. Engineered as a hybrid timber and steel frame and built by the AFRME crew.

• Two-car garage on the first level, inside the profile
• Living floor above the garage, bedrooms above that
• Three floors above the garage, each with a balcony, the top one at the peak
• Hybrid timber and steel frame
• Built by the AFRME crew, like every model

The Four is made for sloping lots. Set into a hillside, its garage level can count as a basement rather than a story, and its height is measured from the higher ground around it. That helps it meet the limits many towns set for houses, often 35 feet and three stories. On a level lot it usually needs a zone that allows taller houses. Each town measures height and stories its own way, so we check the zoning and slope of every lot before we quote.

Floor area

5250 sq ft488 m²

Footprint

18′ 4″ × 47′ 3″5.6 m × 14.4 m

Width at knee

40′ 8″12.4 m

Ridge height

56′ 5″17.2 m

Knee height

19′ 3″5.9 m

Levels

4Main floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor, 4th floor

Sleeps

8–10

Bedrooms

4–53–4 bath

Best for

Large family homes · Lodges and small hotels · Landmark sites · Homes that need a garage