Cooling the home we already have
For many households, the question is not how to design a cooler house. The house, apartment or condominium unit is already there.
We cannot change its orientation, create bigger windows or add a courtyard. Condo dwellers may have little control over the building exterior, while tenants may not even be allowed to modify windows, walls or air-conditioning systems.
Yet with warmer days and increasingly unpredictable weather, keeping our homes comfortable is becoming more challenging.
Challenges
During summer, the problem is obvious: Heat enters through roofs, walls and windows and builds up indoors.
During Habagat, we face another challenge. Opening windows may not always be practical because of rain, wind and very humid outdoor air. We can end up in a home that feels warm, damp and uncomfortable even when the temperature itself does not seem unusually high.
This is because thermal comfort is not simply about temperature. Humidity, air movement, the temperature of surrounding surfaces, our clothing and even what we are doing affect how warm or cool we feel.
Humidity is particularly important in the Philippines. When it is high, perspiration evaporates less effectively, making it harder for our bodies to release heat. Warm and humid indoor conditions can also encourage mold and fungal growth.
So before automatically lowering the thermostat, what can we do in a home we cannot redesign?
Start by keeping heat out. Windows exposed to strong morning or afternoon sun can bring considerable heat indoors. Curtains, blinds and other forms of shading can reduce direct solar exposure. The principle is simple: Heat prevented from entering is heat that we no longer need to remove.
Next, move the air. Higher air speed helps perspiration evaporate and can improve comfort in warm, humid environments. A ceiling, stand or circulation fan can make us feel cooler without actually lowering room temperature.
This means fans and air-conditioning do not have to be competing choices. Used together, better air movement may allow us to remain comfortable at a slightly higher thermostat setting rather than making the air-conditioner work harder just to make the room feel colder.
Then there is moisture. During very humid weather, leaving windows open all day can sometimes introduce more moisture indoors. Air-conditioning removes some moisture while operating, while persistently damp spaces may benefit from dehumidification. The objective should not simply be colder air, but a comfortable balance between temperature, humidity and air movement.
We should also look at what produces heat inside our homes. Lights, computers, televisions, cooking appliances and other equipment all contribute heat. Turning off what we are not using may seem like a small action, but it means less heat for the room—and eventually the air-conditioner—to deal with.
All these remind us that indoor comfort does not necessarily begin with buying a bigger air-conditioner. Sometimes it begins with understanding why we feel hot in the first place.
This subject is particularly meaningful to me as our team at APTCS Group recently delivered two Philippine firsts: The country’s first Fitwel Certified project and first WELL Residential Pre-Certified project. Congratulations to Ar. Agustin Opay II and Ar. Kayla Garcia, who spearheaded these projects, and to the teams who worked with them.
Beyond the certifications themselves, what I value most is the continuing shift toward buildings that consider the health, comfort and everyday experience of the people occupying them.
And these ideas should not be limited to new developments.
Millions of us live in homes that were designed and built years ago. We may have little influence over the architecture, but we still have choices in how we use our spaces.
Shade the sun. Move the air. Manage moisture. Reduce unnecessary heat. Use air-conditioning intelligently rather than simply setting it colder.
The author is a LEED Fellow, ASEAN Architect, UAP Fellow, and educator with over 25 years of professional practice in architecture and sustainability.
