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Cooling Needs Meet Ancient Building Code with Simple Tech

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Here’s a beautiful and natural way to cool a house in a hot climate, and a lovely way to blend a rainwater harvester into the natural terrain and in the process reduce the visual impact of the building on the surrounding landscape from Global Architectural Development.

The solution? Hide the house under its own huge rainwater harvesting pool. From the hilltops surrounding the house, the rainwater pool on the roof gives the impression of a natural pond set into a valley in the landscape.

The rainwater catchment pools help the house blend in with the hills. Blending in is a legal requirement in this region.

This area in the Southwest of Turkey has been settled for over three thousand years as a trading port on the Mediterranean. Ancient building codes greatly restrict the introduction of new forms of architecture that alter its historical character.
The rainwater is used not just to cool the buildings below but also doubles as the gray-water supply: that is water for showers and bathing and toilets: everything but drinking.

In addition to the rooftop cooling, natural cooling is also achieved the traditional way, with cross breezes. But these come from floor to ceiling windows can slide clear into the floor for a modern take on natural ventilation.

If all that fails to keep you cool, you can also take a cooling dunk in this clear pool in front of the house.

Source:  Flooded House
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