To Build Like Grandma, or Like Passive House?

Building a perfectly airtight home the Passive House way might be pricey. So does it mean that a cheaper alternative for greener homes is building as we did back in the old days, before there was air-conditioning?

Architect and blogger Lloyd Alter says no. In the green design website TreeHugger, Alter often championed going back to the old ways to keep cool in the summer without air conditioning, which includes building higher ceilings and changing daily habits.

But upon closer look, he realizes that these methods don’t always make a comfortable home, and these designs may not translate well come winter and summer.

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