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How Houses Were Cooled Before Air Conditioning
- flukus 10y agoThe article misses probably the biggest point of the shotgun/dogtrot houses, that they are elevated, which allows ventilation underneath the house. We came up with a similar design in Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenslander_(architecture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenslander_(architecture)
- dalke 10y agoA second missing design feature is high ceilings, so the heat rises. A third missing feature is fans, especially ceiling fans. These were introduced in the late 1800s and very popular before air conditioning. A fourth solution is on that I read was used in large building in Britain during the Victorian era. Light a fire in the basement. That heats up the local room. The rising heat through the chimneys causes the fireplaces higher up to draw air, giving a cooling breeze in the higher rooms.