passive cooling
After arriving in El Valle, as we began our house design process, many people described the strong Northerly winds in the summer time. I wanted to make sure that the house was well positioned on the site to maximize airflow for reasons of passive cooling as well as keeping air flowing through the house to prevent mold. In my research, I came across information about the geological formation of Panama. I was so fascinated to learn that this place I was living in, was a critical player in world weather, ocean formations and life as we know it today. I felt a sense of gratitude and appreciation that I was going to build my house in what some people say is the bridge of the universe (that’s another story).
From Wikipedia:
Scientists believe the formation of the Isthmus of Panama is one of the most important geologic events in the last 60 million years. Even though only a small sliver of land relative to the sizes of continents, the Isthmus of Panama had an enormous impact on Earth’s climate and its environment. By shutting down the flow of water between the two oceans, the land bridge re-routed ocean currents in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Atlantic currents were forced northward, and eventually settled into a new current pattern that we call the Gulf Stream today. With warm Caribbean waters flowing toward the northeast Atlantic, the climate of northwestern Europe grew warmer. (Winters there would be as much as 10 °C colder in winter without the transport of heat from the Gulf Stream.) The Atlantic, no longer mingling with the Pacific, grew saltier. Each of these changes helped establish the global ocean circulation pattern in place today. In short, the Isthmus of Panama directly and indirectly influenced ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns, which regulated patterns of rainfall, which in turn sculpted landscapes.[1]
Evidence also suggests that the creation of this land mass and the subsequent, warm wet weather over northern Europe resulted in the formation of an Arctic ice cap and contributed to the current ice age.
The formation of the Isthmus of Panama also played a major role in biodiversity on the planet. The bridge made it easier for animals and plants to migrate between the two continents. This event is known in paleontology as the Great American Interchange. For instance, in North America today, the opossum, armadillo, and porcupine all trace back to ancestors that came across the land bridge from South America. Likewise, ancestors of bears, cats, dogs, horses, llamas, and raccoons all made the trek south across the isthmus.
Despite the traditional placement of the front door perpendicular to the drive way, I made it parallel so that the house could be positioned North facing. The concept in the design was that the open living and dining space would act as a wind tunnel with the same window and door element at both front and back of the house. The walls would be inset to form outdoor spaces, extending the outdoors in and the indoors out. As heat accumulates, I designed fans to pull the air upwards and out through the three casement windows on each bounding wall.
This was the idea. In practice, it works much better than I thought it would. The skylights in the space allow tons of natural light to fill the space, but at the same time, creates a lot of heat. Despite this, the ventilation the window and door system creates by employing the natural breezes that burst through, the main living space is the most comfortable space in the house. I find that we are just as happy hanging out inside as we are outside. Other than ceiling fans, we have no means of mechanical heating or cooling, and we find them only necessary in the bedroom at night. In the summer evenings when the breezes are strong and the coolness of the humidity, makes me want to put on a pair of socks, I close the doors and the residual heat absorbed in the walls during the day keeps us comfortable.