Natural cooling materials you could opt for

S ome memories from childhood stay with us forever. I remember helping my mother spray water on these blinds during warm summer days and then the cool breeze would waft in, filling the room with the aroma of vetiver. While a spray of water on vetiver blinds works to cool air in hot and dry regions, for humid conditions of Chennai, they work just as well without the water. The narrow slits in these blinds will allow the passage of breeze and, combined with high openings for hot air, ensures adequate and continuous ventilation within indoor spaces. In today’s context when mechanical air conditioning leads not only to environmental damage but also to adverse health effects, open grills and/or jaalis are better options.