To combat the heat, we created rooms with very high ceilings and double walls. Leaving an air pocket between the two walls made drafts possible, by increasing the openings to the outside. We created a winter living space and a summer lounge. We positioned concrete sun breezes in front of most of the openings, which work best when the sun is at its highest position in the sky, during the hottest hours of the day and the warmest season of the year... Using light colors, placing a small pool of water by the entrance, and building a large swimming pool also afford the house a breath of coolness.
The most pleasant period of the year is between October and April. Winters are very mild. Temperatures are, on average, between 20° and 23° Celsius at mid-day, allowing for outdoor lunches. However, as in all desert climates, the nights are quite cold and temperatures can drop to 4° to 5° Celsius.
Summer temperatures hover around 40° Celsius in the shade, at the warmest hours of the day. But they can even go up to 44° to 45°C on occasion. The hottest months are between June and September.
The two bedrooms are the only rooms that are air-conditioned. It is a reversible system, which also allows for heating during the coldest winter nights.
Heating is used only in the two bedrooms at night, approximately 10 days per year and principally during the month of January. In addition, there is a fireplace in the master bedroom, as well as in the keeper's house.
Air conditioning is used between 10 and 15 days per year, in the summer months.