Good article and makes a lot of sense. When I was staying in Indonesia, the house I was in only had A/C in the bedroom. But the house was designed to catch breezes the blew, long overhangs so that direct sun did not get in the house. It made it okay to be in the living room (or example) without A/C.
But I think the biggest problem today is that there such an extreme difference in temps between inside and outside.
Yes, Ancient Rome did some things to make the inside temp lower, but it probably was only a matter of 10-15 degrees. Today, with A/C the difference between indoor and outdoor temps is 25 degrees for example. So that when somebody goes outside, it feels super hot.
Even today, for the poor people of India, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. 90-95 degree temp does not feel the same to them as someone who goes from A/C car to an A/C mall to an A/C house, etc.