Where i grew up i knew someone who built a safari roof over their house. (the name comes from the vented double top that was an option on land rovers) They stuc

Where i grew up i knew someone who built a safari roof over their house. (the name comes from the vented double top that was an option on land rovers) They stuck whirlybird vents at the apex with a controllable iris. Adjustable Louvres with seals were placed around the edges of the second roof. These allowed the venting air to be shut off in winter and opened in summer. giving you great insulation or ventilation. Combined with the many other things they did (vines in front of walls for summer heat blockages, A well populated garden of low water plants, good insulation everywhere, a white painted roof and double glazed windows) meant that for most of the year no active cooling or heating was required. And this was a place that commonly sees winters with lows of -10 and summers with periods of +35 as the nightly low (daily maxes are +40 for 2 to 3 weeks at a time (Air drying clothes in summer generally took less time than hanging them out. :| )) Much nicer than the typical house in central Australia.