Begin with the sun
A climate-responsive home begins before its walls are drawn. Understanding the path of the sun helps locate courtyards, verandas and openings so that daylight is welcomed without allowing unwanted heat deep into the plan.
Make thresholds inhabitable
Deep overhangs, screened terraces and shaded courts create more than thermal comfort. They become useful rooms in their own right—places to arrive, pause, gather and move between inside and landscape.
Let materials support the strategy
Stone, lime plaster, terracotta and timber each respond differently to heat and moisture. Used with care, local materials can moderate temperature, age gracefully and give a building a character that belongs to its region.