Ventilation

So we're putting huge south facing windows in our straw bale cottage this summer. We want to make these windows super water and air tight, so they won't be able to be opened. Since we won't be using windows for air ventilation in our home, we thought about making small openings that we can open when we need to move some air. They would probably be placed high on the south side (to act as a sort of chimney) for air out and somewhere on the north side for air in. They would need to have mosquito netting and perfect water tightness and insulation when they are closed. This design makes a lot of sense, so instead of reinventing it, maybe someone already has experience on how to go about making a simple vent opening?

Do a search for livestock building plans. For livestock, ventilation is absolutly a must, so there are a lot of manual and automatic variations on how to get what you want to achieve and the plans are free for the taking (download). I would start with the Mid West Plan Service of the USDA to start. A lot of their plans are dated, but the details on ventilation are there, engineered and drawn out for you.

This link for instance is for an insulated lambing shed. If you scroll down to page 7 you will see some details for making eve and ridge vents. Its not entirely what you are looking for I realize, but maybe it will get you thinking.

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