When one lives in a warm-temperate climate, one is often caught napping when there is a sudden spell of cold and rainy weather, as we have experienced in Johannesburg this week. Our houses are simply not equipped for the cold and damp, and are often very difficult to heat effectively and affordably. This is often exacerbated in older houses, when many generations of repainting the steel window frames prevents them from shutting completely. I have installed wall-mounted panel heaters in three of my rooms, but I find that they do not really make much difference on their own - one needs a more developed strategy to be really cozy when the temperature drops below zero. One of my panel heaters One of the biggest problems we face when heating our houses is that any warm air very quickly leaks out, under the doors, through the large panes of glass, through the ceiling and roof if the roof-space is not insulated, and even through the walls and floors. I am lucky in many ways, in that I li...
Reflections on architecture, design, interiors and inspiring creativity