Traditional American country buildings were efficient at serving
their purpose and at and withstanding the weather. Vernacular
buildings can provide some of the best ideas and inspiration for
new designs in the same climate or for the same purpose.
Any home built in a warm climate
or for use as a summer house should be designed to keep itself
cool. This 1876 cottage, by architect Isaac H. Hobbs, shows some
of the best methods. Porches, window hoods and deep roof
overhangs provide shade and allow the windows to remain open in
a cooling rain. The kitchen, where most heat is generated, is
separate from the main body of the house. Warm air from it, and
from all of the other rooms in the house, can be vented through
the upper level windows of the entry hall.
