traingang

New house designs have gotten so shitty, and McMansions are the worst offenders. I live in an old WW1 era house and while it lacks in a feq modern conveniences like an HVAC system, the built-in efficiences are wonderful.

Every room has a solid door, and closing them gives you a lot of privacy. Walls naturally insulate, allowing me to open windows on cool evenings and close them in the morning before the heat arrives -- It can be as low as 70 indoors when it's 90 outside. This works in reverse too when it's heat you need instead. If it's truly hot, the windows are all positioned to allow a breeze to pass straight thru the household.

If needed, the kitchen can be closed off to stop the heat, smoke, and odors from permeating the house. This makes the kitchen more of a strict workspace and less of a socializing area though. There are a lot of major hassles in having an older house, but the energy efficiency is wonderful