A barn with a middle wall and two standing gabled endwalls.
Why this level: Reverse the joined corners while opening the endwalls.
You need: 1 sheet of origami paper, A ruler for measuring (optional)
Richard Rothe’s 1923 paperfolding book shows a farmhouse that stands from one sheet. This barn follows the basic form in those pictures: a middle wall joined to two gabled endwalls. Look from above and it makes an H. Its first maker is unknown.
Did you know? The old instructions suggest drawing windows and doors on the walls. The basic building stands without cutting the sheet.
Start white side up. Bring the top long edge down to the bottom long edge and fold in half.
Fold the bottom edge up and unfold, taking both layers together. Place it 1 cm below the folded top edge to make a crease 3 cm below that top edge.
Fold the upper left corner inward to the horizontal crease and unfold. Repeat at the upper right corner, taking both layers together each time.
At the point where the left diagonal meets the folded top edge, crease straight down and unfold. Repeat on the right, folding each outer 3 cm strip inward with both layers together.
Push the folded upper left corner inward while spreading the two layers below it apart. Reverse the diagonal triangles inside and open the endwall to a right angle with the middle wall.
At the right end, tuck the upper corner inward and spread the two layers apart in the same way. Each end now has a triangular gable.
Keep the folds in place and stand the whole model upright. The lower edges of the middle wall and both endwalls rest on the table. From above, it has an H-shaped plan.