in 2005, we set up wind-socks to locate the breeziest part of the property, and determine the wind direction...

then, we built the house so it catches even the smallest breeze... the whole east and south sides are screened porch, and the roof overhangs are wide, giving shade to the house... plus, there's 50-foot tall mango trees all around, for extra shade.



the windows are just sturdy screens, (no glass) with heavy-duty bolt-down shutters.

the ceilings are *very* tall (ten feet) which gives room for the hot air to rise, then, we have powerful ceiling fans, and a venting cupola, that sucks the hot air right out through screened opening in the ceiling, and lets it out at the top of the roof.

the last thing that keeps the house so cool is the underground cistern.

we excavated a huge pit, lined it with double rows of cement blocks, and triple rebar for strength... then we sealed it, painted it with Dam-Tite (like in a swimming pool), put in an access hatch, and built the house right on top of the 15 thousand gallon water storage cistern.

the roof-edges all have gutters that catch the rain, filter it, and funnel it into the cistern, and all that cool water under the house makes the tiled floor nice and COOL for the bare feet.

we have no air conditioning, and we just made it through the hottest months here (April and May) in the tropics... we were comfortable.

this was a project with many years of thought and loving care in every detail...

thanks for asking Barb... now, have I bored you to tears?