[linuskendall]

From building a mostly mud building in a hot humid climate, it seems that the best you can usually do is "not less comfortable than outside". Basically a large reflective (say straw) roof/shade without walls is the ideal dwelling type, open to prevailing south breezes. Humidity can be regulated a bit using appropriate partitions, but nothing too much as far as I have found.

In the end as long as there is enough of a breeze conditions can be kept "moderately comfortable" without AC for most of the year in our location. Though, it does really ask for there to be a nap in the middle of the day.

I feel great jealousy for all the creative solutions that can be used in dry climates, including convective and evaporative!

[zabuni]

Sadly, where I lived summers usually brought the mother of all high pressure zones, which meant WHAT BREEZE?!!!! Much of the American south has the hottest, most humid type of the year matched with only the dream of wind.

The first time I went to the desert I was amazed at how much you can change the climate without a hermetically enclosed environment. Fans work! Shade works! Blowing air over water works! Ice wrapped in a towel works!

You can make 115 feel tolerable with very little electricity or effort. THAT'S CHEATING!

I solved it by moving away.