Designing for heat without air-conditioning

Shade first

The easiest heat to deal with is the heat that never gets in. At Courtyard House, deep window reveals and external shutters keep the sun off the glass in the hottest hours.

A courtyard that moves air

The rooms wrap around a planted courtyard. Warm air rises out of it in the afternoon and draws cooler air through the house from the shaded street side. Every room has windows on two sides, so the air always has somewhere to go.

Heavy walls, cool nights

Thick walls take in heat during the day and release it slowly. On summer nights the family opens the house up, the walls cool down, and the next morning starts cool again.

None of this is new technology. It is careful planning at the start, and it lets the house stay comfortable all summer with the air-conditioning off.