Boundary and skin
Louvered window
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It is a window made of horizontal slats of glass, timber or metal that pivot together with a crank or a lever.
What it solves
It lets the breeze through the whole sash and regulates the opening with a single movement. That is why it became common in houses in hot, humid climates.
Today
Choose louvers that close tightly against each other, an insect screen on the inside and hardware that does not rust. Place it where the rain does not hit head-on, or protect it with an eave.
Common mistake
Using it on a facade exposed to wind-driven rain, where water gets in through the joints, or relying on it for security when the louvers are easily removed.
Tomorrow
In a hotter climate it is an ally of natural ventilation, especially at night. Current versions seal better against downpours without losing their almost total opening.
Fact A 1960 study tested these windows in tropical climates to let air through and keep rain out. Its authors judged that they did not stop water well.
Where it comes from
- 1France Europe, 18th century
The word jalousie, jealousy, named the lattices that let one look out without being seen. - 2Industrial invention Malden, United States, 1900 to 1901
A basic window of pivoting slats was patented. - 3Mid-20th-century housing Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Latin America, mid-20th century
Mass production made it common in houses in hot, humid climates before air conditioning spread.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Boundary and skin
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.