Ideal homes-new ideas and some old ones

A The traditional Kampung houses of Malaysia do not need air conditioning. Built on stilts and with steep roofs, they have year-round ventilation. The raised structure ensures a cooling breeze comes up through the floor, while the high roof acts as a chimney to release hot air. The airtight, concrete boxes of modern city construction, in contrast, act as heat traps, says Mohammad Peter Davis of Universiti Putra Malaysia. He has calculated that typical modern Malaysian houses are 5°C hotter ...