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I've spent few months in Andalusia and can't say their apartment buildings are better suited for heat than one I live in Poland. Yes there are more curtains and

I've spent few months in Andalusia and can't say their apartment buildings are better suited for heat than one I live in Poland. Yes there are more curtains and AC, but it is not related to the building, you can have them in northern apartment too.

diggan 3y ago
As a person who moved to Spain (Barcelona though) from Sweden, I agree. Houses here have basically no insulation what so ever, unless they're built recently. During the summer, it's almost impossible to escape the heat unless you have AC inside. Meanwhile, in Sweden you can usually just enter any house and can be sure that there is at least is a temperature difference compared to outside just because of way better insulation.
ido 3y ago
At least in Israel apartments are much better ventilated than in Germany - there are usually multiple directions with windows (e.g. windows on 3 air directions, so you can open all the windows and get good circulation), a lot of apartments in Germany have only 1-2 air directions and the rooms are not setup for good air circulation. Also windows tend to be much bigger and open up more conveniently in Israel (in Germany because windows open inwards if you have anything on the way you can’t easily open the window, you have to first remove everything from the window sill - in Israel windows often slide or open outwards). It’s subtle differences and when its super hot (40c) you need AC anyway, but upper 20s/low 30s still feel ok in a well ventilated apartment and not so much with one built for keeping the cold out (like in Germany). It’s also much more common to have functional window shades (like these http://alumgo.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/6/7/14671210/7800745_orig.jpg http://alumgo.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/6/7/14671210/7800745_or...) in Israel than in Germany. In homes I’ve mostly only seen the cheap kind of shades or curtains in Germany, and these aren’t very good.

diggan 3y ago

As a person who moved to Spain (Barcelona though) from Sweden, I agree. Houses here have basically no insulation what so ever, unless they're built recently. During the summer, it's almost impossible to escape the heat unless you have AC inside. Meanwhile, in Sweden you can usually just enter any house and can be sure that there is at least is a temperature difference compared to outside just because of way better insulation.

ido 3y ago

At least in Israel apartments are much better ventilated than in Germany - there are usually multiple directions with windows (e.g. windows on 3 air directions, so you can open all the windows and get good circulation), a lot of apartments in Germany have only 1-2 air directions and the rooms are not setup for good air circulation. Also windows tend to be much bigger and open up more conveniently in Israel (in Germany because windows open inwards if you have anything on the way you can’t easily open the window, you have to first remove everything from the window sill - in Israel windows often slide or open outwards). It’s subtle differences and when its super hot (40c) you need AC anyway, but upper 20s/low 30s still feel ok in a well ventilated apartment and not so much with one built for keeping the cold out (like in Germany). It’s also much more common to have functional window shades (like these http://alumgo.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/6/7/14671210/7800745_orig.jpg http://alumgo.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/6/7/14671210/7800745_or...) in Israel than in Germany. In homes I’ve mostly only seen the cheap kind of shades or curtains in Germany, and these aren’t very good.