Coolness in the summer? It's quite a challenge.

Every year it's the same. Summer comes, we feel hot and when we're at home, we want coolness. And lo and behold, air conditioning isn't the only solution. Although... in reality, it's a bit more complicated, so let's take a closer look.

But let's get back to air conditioning. It's the first thing one thinks of when they're roasting at home. And it works, no doubt. Unfortunately, however, it's not for everyone. Installing it in city apartments during renovation is quite complicated, and in heritage zones, it's essentially taboo due to heritage preservation. Moreover, it's essential to realize that air conditioning needs to be connected to a drain for condensate removal and must have an outdoor unit, which requires a structural connection. It's quite a science...

Haven't broken a sweat yet? There's more. Air conditioning does help create an ideal climate at home, but you know how it is: what is given in one place is taken from another. Cooling the interior spaces results in a disproportionate warming of the outdoor space. The waste hot air slinks across rooftops and streets, heat accumulates, and outside becomes suffocating. Another drawback of air conditioning is that it generates extremely chilled air, causing more illnesses and health problems for many people than benefits. Unfortunately, for attic apartments in cities, air conditioning is the only available solution.

People are inventive, thank goodness! Have you ever heard of cooled ceilings? It's a more expensive but perceptually very pleasant alternative. It's a system similar to floor heating – tubes with a cooling liquid are placed in the ceiling, cooling the air in the room.

Phew.

It can be done without technology. The foundation is good insulation of not only the walls but also the roof, which is most exposed to heat in the hot months. Here, green roofs are an ideal solution, for example. They act as perfect thermal insulation and, additionally, are aesthetically pleasing. On hot days, their temperature doesn't exceed 25°C, which is negligible compared to asphalt roofs that can get heated up to 80°C. Green roofs work precisely the opposite way compared to air conditioning. They cool the interior of the building and don't produce waste heat. And if you're considering building a family house, they will reduce the building coefficient of your plot.

Ah, Iceland.

Apart from the fact that almost everything there is fantastic, we were indescribably impressed by the replica of a medieval farm - Þjóðveldisbærinn. For the roofing and exterior walls, meticulously laid turf bricks were used as insulation. Not only does it insulate wonderfully, but it also looks fantastic! Proof of this can be found in the new thermal baths, Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik, where this method is applied to the entire facade and the spa building itself.

by Radka - 10. 8. 2023