Old Tech (Architecture edition)
Aug. 10th, 2024 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fabrisseA week or so ago, Siderea mentioned awnings as a forgotten technology for cooling. Travelling through Greece, I've been reminded of some of my other favorite technologies for living quarters.
1) Transoms -- these have a couple of advantages. In winter, when they may need to be shut to exclude draughts, they still let in natural light which prevents rooms from getting too chilly as well as brightening the place up. In summer, opening the transoms allows cross-ventilation, including across hallways.
2) Shutters -- real shutters actually cover the windows. They help keep heat in during the winter. Over an open window, they provide cooling if the slats are opened. French windows with closed shutters have been a common sight from about noon to 4 p.m. The slats are opened to catch the breezes, but the hot sun is blocked.
3) Awnings -- Siderea mentioned awnings already, but seeing them extended over balconies as well as ground floors are a reminder of how helpful they can be in regulating shade.
4) Whitewashing -- some of the houses we've seen have been painted, but the majority have been whitewashed with lime. This helps prevent illness.
5) Channels -- the curves of the tiles on the roofs channel water usually into drains, but in previous eras into cisterns or hogshead rain barrels. Some parts of Santorini are still capturing water to be used for irrigation, washing clothes and dishes, or the toilets. Drinking water comes from the mainland, but not having to buy potable water to use for grey water is a huge savings. On Skiaros, today's stop, there were channels for rainwater built into the cobblestone streets which allow them to drain quickly.
On a more modern note, small solar panels are all over the roofs in Athens and Istanbul, mostly for hot water systems we were told. Windmills are being used to generate electricity in both countries which means two of the most polluted cities in the region, 40 years ago, now have clear skies.
I'm looking forward to our new house, though I dislike the unusable shutters on the front. We're already planning an awning over the back deck, solar panels with storage batteries for hurricanes and other potential power outages, and we're considering options for rainwater. [side note: why does Georgia not.require rain gutters on houses? With all the rain we get?]
1) Transoms -- these have a couple of advantages. In winter, when they may need to be shut to exclude draughts, they still let in natural light which prevents rooms from getting too chilly as well as brightening the place up. In summer, opening the transoms allows cross-ventilation, including across hallways.
2) Shutters -- real shutters actually cover the windows. They help keep heat in during the winter. Over an open window, they provide cooling if the slats are opened. French windows with closed shutters have been a common sight from about noon to 4 p.m. The slats are opened to catch the breezes, but the hot sun is blocked.
3) Awnings -- Siderea mentioned awnings already, but seeing them extended over balconies as well as ground floors are a reminder of how helpful they can be in regulating shade.
4) Whitewashing -- some of the houses we've seen have been painted, but the majority have been whitewashed with lime. This helps prevent illness.
5) Channels -- the curves of the tiles on the roofs channel water usually into drains, but in previous eras into cisterns or hogshead rain barrels. Some parts of Santorini are still capturing water to be used for irrigation, washing clothes and dishes, or the toilets. Drinking water comes from the mainland, but not having to buy potable water to use for grey water is a huge savings. On Skiaros, today's stop, there were channels for rainwater built into the cobblestone streets which allow them to drain quickly.
On a more modern note, small solar panels are all over the roofs in Athens and Istanbul, mostly for hot water systems we were told. Windmills are being used to generate electricity in both countries which means two of the most polluted cities in the region, 40 years ago, now have clear skies.
I'm looking forward to our new house, though I dislike the unusable shutters on the front. We're already planning an awning over the back deck, solar panels with storage batteries for hurricanes and other potential power outages, and we're considering options for rainwater. [side note: why does Georgia not.require rain gutters on houses? With all the rain we get?]
