Five passive architectural strategies to keep homes cool in summer

Diariodesign outlines five passive architectural strategies to improve thermal comfort in homes during summer, drawing on built projects in Spain. The first strategy is exterior solar protection—shutters, awnings, and louvers that block radiation before it enters, as seen in NeuronaLab's Roc's House in El Prat de Llobregat. The second is cross ventilation, where opposing openings create natural airflow; exemplified by MINIMO studio's project in Madrid, where a double-height entrance patio drives diagonal air movement. The third strategy revives patios and transitional spaces as natural thermal regulators, illustrated by Bernardo Cerrato's house in Alicante, where a central patio brings light and ventilation to a narrow 5x19-meter plot. The fourth uses water as a thermal regulator: in Casa Tres Patis by Twobo in Empordà, a reflective pool inspired by Roman impluvium cools the air between pavilions. The fifth focuses on a well-insulated building envelope using materials like wood fiber, cork, and rock wool, as demonstrated by Vallribera Noray Arquitectes in Sabadell, where a cork-clad, timber-framed house operates without mechanical cooling. Photographs by Pol Viladoms, Rosario Kuri, Hiperfocal, Milena Villalba, José Hevia, and Marta Vidal accompany the article.