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The main chiller plant at K-State broke down last night, and with it went most of the air conditioning on campus (a few really old buildings with window units still had those working). And in the case of my office, there's essentially no air circulation at all when the AC is off. So getting things done was pretty challenging, and I ended up taking some work home with me to do in my air-conditioned apartment.
So, to the question in the subject line. What DID we do before AC?
1) We built buildings with big, openable windows. My office has no windows. In fact, there are only three or four small windows on the entire (relatively small) floor, and thanks to the recent fire-marshal-mandated work on the stairwell, we can't make use of the window there to air out the rest of the floor. The building was designed around the assumption of year-round artificial climate control, and while some rooms can air out pretty well with windows, most can't.
1a) Everyone had some sort of air-circulation device (desk fan, ceiling fan) to augment the windows, at least post-1900 or so.
2) We didn't have computers, which are big heat sources. In an office like mine, which is about 8 feet across, 6 feet deep and 7 or so feet high, a Wintel box is almost as good as a space heater.
3) We didn't try to run classes in Kansas in August, when the average afternoon temperatures are only slightly less than normal human core temperature.
4) Only mad dogs and Englishmen actually tried to work in the mid-afternoon heat. :)
So, to the question in the subject line. What DID we do before AC?
1) We built buildings with big, openable windows. My office has no windows. In fact, there are only three or four small windows on the entire (relatively small) floor, and thanks to the recent fire-marshal-mandated work on the stairwell, we can't make use of the window there to air out the rest of the floor. The building was designed around the assumption of year-round artificial climate control, and while some rooms can air out pretty well with windows, most can't.
1a) Everyone had some sort of air-circulation device (desk fan, ceiling fan) to augment the windows, at least post-1900 or so.
2) We didn't have computers, which are big heat sources. In an office like mine, which is about 8 feet across, 6 feet deep and 7 or so feet high, a Wintel box is almost as good as a space heater.
3) We didn't try to run classes in Kansas in August, when the average afternoon temperatures are only slightly less than normal human core temperature.
4) Only mad dogs and Englishmen actually tried to work in the mid-afternoon heat. :)
