“When your house contains such a complex of piping, flues, ducts, wires, lights, inlets, outlets, ovens, sinks, refuse disposers, hi-fi reverberators, antennae, conduits, freezers, heaters – when it contains so many services that the hardware could stand up by itself without any assistance from the house, why have a house to hold it up?” - Reyner Banham https://socks-studio.com/2011/10/31/francois-dallegret-and-reyner-banham-a-home-is-not-a-house-1965/
In my own home, I love having different thermal zones. We have electric heat, but mainly rely on our wood stove and pellet stove for heat partly because they are more economical, and partly because I like having "warm zones" (living room, family room) and "cool zones" (bedrooms). When I'm sitting down to read a book or watch TV, I like to be in the cozier zones near the wood stove or pellet stove - but when I'm sleeping I want to be in a rather chilly space.
In the summer, we have window units in the bedrooms for sleeping comfort, but to escape the heat we spend a lot of time sitting out in our front yard under the shade of the trees and where we can catch the breezes. While part of me wishes we had central air, I do have to admit it is much more sociable to spend our evenings in the front yard, where we socialize with neighbors, greet people walking by, etc..
My mother always claimed that air conditioning ruined neighborliness; as people retreated inside their homes and shut all the windows and doors instead of mingling in outdoor spaces and on porches as they did in her youth. I think she did have a point there.
“When your house contains such a complex of piping, flues, ducts, wires, lights, inlets, outlets, ovens, sinks, refuse disposers, hi-fi reverberators, antennae, conduits, freezers, heaters – when it contains so many services that the hardware could stand up by itself without any assistance from the house, why have a house to hold it up?” - Reyner Banham https://socks-studio.com/2011/10/31/francois-dallegret-and-reyner-banham-a-home-is-not-a-house-1965/
Thank you for sharing! I love the images in that link too
I think of these images every time I see a heat pump / minisplit retrofit
I particularly love USM furniture, but agree it is cold, but paired with those warm objects it does completely balance those spaces.
I feel the same way about USM. they are extremely expensive too hahahaha
This was extremely interesting, particularly to a complete amateur.
Thank you so much, Helen
Well said David. A coworker lent me Thermal Delight a few months ago and I thought it was a very persuasive read.
thank you Mr. Alec :)
In my own home, I love having different thermal zones. We have electric heat, but mainly rely on our wood stove and pellet stove for heat partly because they are more economical, and partly because I like having "warm zones" (living room, family room) and "cool zones" (bedrooms). When I'm sitting down to read a book or watch TV, I like to be in the cozier zones near the wood stove or pellet stove - but when I'm sleeping I want to be in a rather chilly space.
In the summer, we have window units in the bedrooms for sleeping comfort, but to escape the heat we spend a lot of time sitting out in our front yard under the shade of the trees and where we can catch the breezes. While part of me wishes we had central air, I do have to admit it is much more sociable to spend our evenings in the front yard, where we socialize with neighbors, greet people walking by, etc..
My mother always claimed that air conditioning ruined neighborliness; as people retreated inside their homes and shut all the windows and doors instead of mingling in outdoor spaces and on porches as they did in her youth. I think she did have a point there.
I really agree with your mother, and I think Lisa Heschong would agree as well.