Learning from the Past

We tried to take the best of the new and old designs.  Home builders "back in the day" were very creative and practical with their designs, as a poorly built home was evident in a lot more ways than just a higher utility bill.  Nowadays a we tend to just compensate by pulling more energy from the grid to keep the home comfortable.  They didn't have that option.

Some of the ideas we reviewed included cisterns and rainwater recovery; earth sheltered construction; root cellars, pantries, ceiling fans and the simple enclosed porch.  Our thoughts on most of these elements are in other parts of the site (green building and utilities), but the porch didn't seem to fit neatly in any other category.
 

At some point in the last several decades, the covered front porch was all but eliminated by the "formal entry".  We had one at our last home, some people we've talked to about home design said they wouldn't consider building a home without one.  Why is this the case?  Is someone less welcome in your home if they have to pass through a utilitarian area on their way in?  Personally, I think it's rather nice for friends to be able to step in out of the weather and knock on the inside door to let us know they've arrived.  I think the UPS guy appreciates being able to stand under cover while I sign for packages, too.

An enclosed porch is a very practical thing.  It creates an airlock so the kids (and anyone else) don't let all the heat out of the house as ramble in an out in the winter (and can keep heat out in the summer).  It can also act as a convenient storage space for outdoor items such as gardening; hunting equipment, sports gear and so on. Here in Wisconsin it’s a free refrigerator for six months out of the year.