Cool Homes in Hot Places

Book excerpt: Cool Homes in Hot Places showcases real homes from the hottest territories around the world. Featuring a wide variety of environments and styles—from wilderness to hillside, from waterside to woodside, and from cultivated to streetside—this book shows how careful decisions around layout, materials, color, and furniture can create elegant yet functional and comfortable spaces in even the world's hottest climates. By designing each home holistically and taking into consideration all of the factors that impact the site—the occupants, region, climate, terrain, culture, and resources—Cool Homes in Hot Places will show any architect, interior designer, or homeowner the key to staying cool in any warm climate.