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Why don't we use awnings anymore (2022)

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413 points samclemens | 1 comments | 15 Oct 24 22:11 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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philwelch ◴[16 Oct 24 02:28 UTC] No.41855050[source]▶
I might just be unusually sensitive to this, but there is a downside to awnings that hardly ever gets mentioned. Yes, an awning keeps your house cooler by blocking sunlight, but it also blocks sunlight, reducing the natural light inside your house. This means you either sit in the dark or use more artificial light, which is fine except natural sunlight is (for me at least) very beneficial for mood and for maintaining the circadian rhythm.

I know lots of people who don't mind living in darkness or seem to have a personal vendetta against the sun, and maybe those people would be genuinely better off with awnings, but I don't think they're for me.

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1. crazygringo ◴[16 Oct 24 04:07 UTC] No.41855510[source]▶
I'm surprised I had to scroll down this far to find this -- yes exactly! They block the light, they block the sky, they block the view.

Back in the day, windows were small and there were awnings and interiors were dark. Often made even darker with dark wood, dark colors, etc. It could be downright gloomy.

Then a kind of aesthetic revolution happened where windows got bigger, walls got white, awnings went away -- and it's all so much brighter and joyous.

And if your windows let in too much heat in the summer so you have to run your AC more, it can be counterbalanced in the winter when you can run the heat a lot less during sunny days.