Something Old, Something New
I don’t know if you would call me an “old soul” or accuse me of being stuck in my ways. Maybe I just have trouble accepting the fact that I’m aging. Either way, I find myself looking to the past quite a bit, especially when it comes to design and construction.
Don’t get me wrong; I am in no way against technological advancements. Each new generation brings innovations that make our homes more efficient, easier to maintain, and better for the environment. But in our march forward, we need to remember the lessons learned by those who came before. Often, old-fashioned solutions can help us deal with modern issues.
For example, let’s consider heating and cooling our homes. My house, as I’ve mentioned before, was built in 1947, before central air conditioning was common. A previous owner did, at some point, install central heat and air. However, you can tell that the original house was designed to deal with the summer heat at a time when open windows and fans were your best options.
First, we have trees. It sounds simple enough, but mature trees can help to block the blazing sun in the summer. Better yet, most of the trees in our yard are deciduous. They offer shade in the summer, and in the fall, they lose their leaves and allow the sun to help warm up the house. We had a similar situation at our house in Boone, which was built in 1958. Being in a cooler climate, that house faced south, giving it as much sun as possible in the winter months. In the summer, though, the trees in the front yard gave us shade to help keep the house cool.
Another solution to the heat also happens to be one of my favorite features of our house: the front porch. We love our covered porches in the south, and for good reason. A front porch is another way to shade the front of the house, helping to alleviate the summer heat. It also offers a cool place to relax on a hot, lazy afternoon. I try to use mine as much as possible in the warmer months.
Finally, but probably most importantly, builders of the past put more consideration into the location and orientation of the house on its lot. For example, our current house faces west. We have few windows on the south side, where the sun is strongest. Our sun room is on the north side, offering plenty of light, without the added heat. On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, our house in the mountains faced south in order to help with heating in the winter. It also backed up to a hill, giving it some shelter from the wind. Most older homes in the area are built below the ridge line to offer additional protection from the elements. I’ve been in a lot of newer homes perched right on the top of a ridge or edge of a mountain. The views are incredible, but I would hate to be responsible for the heating bills when the winter winds start howling around them.
I know that today’s building methods and materials are the result of centuries of advancement. Homes are tighter and more efficient, and we have the ability to heat and cool them with the touch of a button. Still, I can’t help but have some concerns as I drive around our area and see rows of new houses, on cleared, unshaded lots, baking in the sun. Imagine how much more efficient those homes could be if we left some trees on the lots for shade or added a covered porch. As we keep moving forward, let’s continue to embrace innovation, while holding on to the wisdom of the past.
