A "Cool" Place to Live

A "Cool" Place to Live. . , The cabin in front of you is known as a "dog trot" cabin. This form, which originated in the Southeast, has many clever methods of dealing with the heat. , , [clock-wise from top left] , , The first thing you probably noticed is the breezeway which separates the two rooms. In fact, the term "dog trot" comes from this feature. Its function was simple and effective: during warm weather, it provided shade and funneled cool drafts. A porch on the front (and sometimes the back) provided further shade. , , The logs are joined at the corners with full compound dovetail notches. All the surfaces slope away from the building to prevent water from pooling. The interlocking notches also helped make the cabin very sturdy. , , Even the clay chinking between the pine logs could be removed during the summer to improve air flow. , , It may seem odd that such small rooms have so many doors, but they're there for a reason: you can open or close them to take advantage of - or block out - a cool breeze. , , Each room also has a fireplace and chimney. In cool weather, the fireplaces on both sides would be kept up, but during the summer you only had to keep a fire going in the kitchen, which kept the bedroom more comfortable.