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Cool Architecture for Hot Summers
Sun-repelling roofs, shades, windows and the natural flow of air can help your home weather heat waves
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located... More »
With way-above-average temperatures kicking in throughout the country, it looks like it's going to be another record-breaking summer. Seems that the real possibility of climate change, whether part of the earth's natural cycle or caused by human activity, is something we'll all have to deal with. The good news is that for millennia people have been designing and building houses that can keep us comfortable no matter how uncomfortable it gets outside. So maybe it's time to rediscover these age-old building techniques and incorporate more of them into our homes.
Here are a few time-tested heat-beating ideas — and some new ones — to consider.
Here are a few time-tested heat-beating ideas — and some new ones — to consider.
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| Add shade. Glass isn't an efficient insulator. It allows warmth out during the cold months while letting heat in during the warm months. Providing a shading device over these areas of glass will mitigate the greenhouse effect and go a long way to keeping your home cooler. |
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| Choose light-colored roofing. We all probably learned in high school science class that the color black absorbs heat while white reflects it. This is why in the warmer climates a white or light-colored roof will repel the heat, keeping your home cooler. |
Like shades but permanent, an overhang blocks the sun's radiation from hitting the building directly. The beauty of these architectural devices is that they can be designed to block summer sun while allowing winter sun into the home.
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by Ciulla Design
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| When we lived in Singapore, a place with a hot and humid climate if there ever was one, many carried an umbrella to shade themselves from the sun as they went about their daily routine. If an umbrella can help keep a person cooler, why not place an umbrella over the entire house? It was no surprise that the owners of the iconic Umbrella House started saving 30 percent on their air conditioning costs after they restored the home's "umbrella." |
| Incorporate water and plantings. Just as misters keep cool those in the queue at the amusement park, a fountain, pool or other water feature will definitely keep the surrounding air cooler. And plants act as shades, blocking the sun's rays before they reach the ground. |
| Create a chimney effect. Again from high school science, we all know that hot air rises. So by providing a taller space surrounded by lower spaces we can create a chimney effect. The cooler air closer to the ground comes in and, as it warms up, is expelled through the top. By introducing constant air movement and by continuously replacing warm with cool air, you'll make the interior of your home more comfortable. |
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An easy way to create the chimney effect is to put an operable skylight above the stairway. When open, the skylight will draw the cooler air from the lower floors up, keeping the top floor cooler in the process.
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Use UV-blocking glass. Windows have come a long way in the past few decades. Double and triple glazing, low-e coating, argon fills and impact glass are some of the features that most window manufacturers have incorporated into their products.
You'll want to make sure that you use a window that blocks the UV rays to not only cut down on heat gain but to keep your interiors from being bleached by the sun. So when looking at new or replacement windows, make sure that the window is constructed with the low-e coating on the proper surface for your climate.
You'll want to make sure that you use a window that blocks the UV rays to not only cut down on heat gain but to keep your interiors from being bleached by the sun. So when looking at new or replacement windows, make sure that the window is constructed with the low-e coating on the proper surface for your climate.
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| Add mass. Building with concrete and masonry helps keep houses in warmer climates cooler. The mass of the construction absorbs daytime heat, releasing the heat at night when temperatures are cooler. An excellent way to achieve this mass is to use insulated concrete form (ICF) construction, as this show home from the 2012 International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida, does. |
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| Adobe construction is another building technique that relies on adding mass. In use for thousands of years, adobe construction is a great way to keep the house cool naturally, especially when combined with recessed windows that are kept in the shade during summer. |
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| Increase air circulation. Operable windows, especially those that are properly shaded, can keep the interior nice and cool. Windows such as these transom types can be left open at night to let in the cooler evening air. |
| The air that's lower to the ground is going to be cooler. So having some awning windows down low that can capture this air will keep the house interior cooler. |
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by Ian Engberg
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| Cross ventilation keeps the air from staying put and becoming stale and warm. Allowing the air to flow throughout the house keeps the interior healthier, cooler and more enjoyable. |
| Create a cool courtyard. Courtyards are domestic oases, especially with some plantings and a water feature or two. Perhaps add a pergola or other shading device as well to keep the area even cooler. And make sure all the rooms that front the courtyard have big windows and doors to take advantage of the cooling effects of this space. |
by Robert Hawkins
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Don't fight the site. Sometimes the best views are going to be to the east or west — the worst orientations for large expanses of glass. In these situations, designing the shading device for all that glass is critical. Plot out the sun angles so you can have a shading device that keeps out the hot, low sun while not blocking the view.
More: Solar-Powered Design
More: Solar-Powered Design
Ideabook published on July 3, 2012.
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We are building at the moment and I would have loved a light colored roof but this was not allowed in the rules of the subdivision because of the reflection, I think.
We have installed a rainwater tank to use in the toilets, garden and water feature (hope we can afford said feature).