Forget air conditioning: the most effective way to combat summer heat (and facilitate summer cocktail parties) is the screened porch. Here's a roundup of some favorites.
Above: A midcentury modern porch from the portfolio of photographer Roger Davies.
Above: A screened porch in Napa, by San Francisco designer Ken Fulk; via House Beautiful.
Above: A porch in New England by Estes/Twombly Architects.
Above: A screened in porch photographed by Michael Graydon.
Above: A screened porch in Texas by Poteet Architects.
Above: Texas architect Max Levy's House at Wind Point; photo by Charles Davis Smith.
Above: A porch at the Cloud 9 ranch in Texas by Lake Flato Architects.
Above: A sleeping porch in the Sullivan County, New York, cabin of Scott Newkirk (to create a similar look, consult Steal This Look: Summer Sleeping Porch).
Above: Two views of a modern screened porch by architect David Salmela in Wisconsin; via Dwell.
Above: Iconic Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius' own house in Lincoln, Massachusetts, incorporated New England details, including a screened porch.
Above two photos: A screened porch in New York by Platt Dana Architects.
Above: Photographer William Abranowicz's screened porch in Westchester County, via Martha Stewart.
Above: A two-story screened porch at the Claverack Homesteads, designed by Dennis Wedlick.
Above: A screened-in space in a Maine coastal house by Sheila Narusawa Architects.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on August 11, 2011.