top of page

C.RANSBURY

FIND YOUR LAND

with our Legacy Land Checklist...

DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST

C.RANSBURY

DESIGN

Sorry, but this form is now closed.

First name*

Email*

You made it!

Passive Heating and Cooling Checklist

DIRECT DOWNLOAD

PDF Viewer:

HANG OUT ON INSTAGRAM

Passive Solar Sun Angles and Overhangs instagram post. Here's a quick drawing to help you understand why overhangs matter in passive solar buildings and how to calculate the sun's angle on the winter and summer solstices. The reason overhangs are so important is for summer shading. We want to be able to flood our homes with sunlight in the winter and shade it out in the summer. This is a section drawing of a wall on the equator-facing side of a building where most of the windows will be (unless you actually live on the equator!). As you can see the sun angle ranges depending on what latitude you are on. Once we calculate those angles (on slide 3 - its super simple so don't worry), we can shift the overhang width and the window size accordingly. This is beneficial for new builds, but also possible for remodels. So if you have a house already... How could you incorporate these principles on the equator-facing side of your house? Let there be light!

One of the most beautiful parts of life is the ability to remember. I often reflect on all the stories that make me who I am today. Whenever I feel confused or overwhelmed I sit down and revisit old notes or photos from the past. It not only helps improve my memory but reminds me of what I stand for and the stories I have to tell. This particular story I pull from here is likely one of the most challenging for me to unpack. It's tangled with regret, incompletion, and outrage. And yet at the same time, it is perhaps one of the most blessed moments of my life. Building this house, tending this land, and caring for this community is far from my world now. And yet what I learned within these years is immeasurable. When developing a functional and harmonious property, there are 3 important elements to always respect: 1. Our Relationships: Know your neighbors. Respect their point of view, and learn from them. Our communities drive our economies. Learn how you can help the people around

Resilient design solutions must encompass climate-specific design! Building responsibly means tailoring our homes to diverse climates. Developing property that’s reverent to changing and unexpected environmental circumstances is vital to the health and longevity of a home. Here are some quick tips to help design your dream home in your climate. 🏜️ Hot-Arid: Thermal mass walls, evaporative cooling, and shaded windows, keep it cool in the desert. ❄️ Cold: Compact forms, interior thermal mass, and dark exteriors embrace winter's chill. 🌡️ Hot-Humid: Maximized shading, high ceilings, and cross ventilation conquer tropical heat. 🌿 Temperate: Balanced design with medium finishes and solar-oriented layouts for year-round comfort. Embrace these timeless solutions!

This building was inspired by the Adobe /Pueblo Revival style for a property in Questa, NM. The client wanted all the traditional pieces, so we attempted to include all of them; the Vigas (large round rafter timbers), a Kiva (a masonry fireplace shown), and the Banco (the built-in masonry bench as a part of the fireplace). Whats great is that these vigas can be structural members. However, for waterproofing and thermal bridging these tend to be ornamental on the exterior. Since the width of the building is less than 20' we were able to do this with structural integrity on the interior. Another great reason for having a shallow width to a building is for solar gain! Anything over 20’ and you start to lose the light on the north side of the building in the winter. This building’s length is oriented to the south for maximum heat and daylight. This vision was so exciting pushing the boundaries of traditional building and envisioning a fusion of both Pueblo Revival and Japanese styles of

Sometimes we just need some fresh air. Maybe we want to feel a breeze, or hear the birds. With our reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems we sometimes forget the joys of an open window that connects us to the outdoors. When designing with cross ventilation in mind make sure you are remembering that hot air rises. Air escaping higher in the space is ideal. If you can bring in air from the windward side all the better! Different types of window awnings also have varied effects on air pressure. Also, you can consider using louvered windows to help direct the air flow. Disclaimer: This is a very simplified version of cross ventilation and would not recommend this as your primary ventilation system It is i also important to remember that many places in the world require FILTERED air (pollution, smoke, particles, ect) so plan for your ventilation system to have some kind of replaceable filter. There are so many other fun passive cooling systems to explore, such as the stack

You may be surprised by some of the sustainable design choices made in this project despite its traditional appearance... This home is still work in progress for a homestead in Wisconsin. Staying reverent to the local and traditional architecture was a key concern in this design. Milwaukee, WI is known as the 'cream city' due to the lighter colors of the local brick. Using regional raw materials not only spares your carbon footprint, but adds an air of continuity throughout a community. The longer side of this building faces south with most of its utility spaces to the north. Overhangs were achieved on most of the south-facing windows where possible while maintaining the traditional aesthetic. Luckily, the site has large shade trees to the west, so we did not need to worry about overhangs on the western windows. These are simple design principles that do not increase the cost during construction, and yet add immeasurable value to the passive heating and cooling of the home in the lo

Discover simple and effective ways to make your homes more efficient and economical! collaboration with @cransbury.design . Learn about the importance of strategic window placement, thermal mass utilization, and insulation for efficient heating. Explore the significance of properly sized overhangs, utilizing trees or adjacent structures for cooling, and harnessing prevailing winds for ventilation. Don't miss out on these valuable tips for your next building project!"

© 2025 C. Ransbury Design

TERMS OF SERVICES

bottom of page