Here comes the when I was a kid story (but it's true). We lived in a wood frame house, on blocks so air could pass under it (and Dogs, Cats, Armadillos, Skunks, etc), 75 miles from the GoM (Gulf of Mexico for you freshwater people), 1/2 way between Houston and San Antonio. The town can be found under the definition of heat and humidity. My youngest sister still lives there.
The windows were "tall" and had two pieces. The top window, only about 8" from the ceiling, could slide down and the bottom window would slide up. There was a big weight in a pocket in the side that would keep the window from moving after you let it go. Why is that important? Hot air rises, cool air sinks. The hot air would exit via the upper window opening when it was open. It set up a natural "cooler air in / hot air out" flow.
We had an attic fan. It was 4'- 5' in diameter, had a set of self opening / closing louvers, and it pulled outside air through the windows and discharged it into the attic. The only real drawback to it was that when it was real foggy (Spring and Fall usually) it would pull in the wet air and you would wake up a little damp
In winter we heated with "butane". I think it was propane but that's what they called it.
I don't remember being particularly uncomfortable when we lived there. The rumble of the attic fan and cool breeze would put me to sleep.
When I go out to Big Bend I stay at cabins up the hill from the restaurant in the Basin rather than the air conditioned things closer to the restaurant. In the summer, when I usually go, it can be 112 down in the desert but up in the high Chisos it's not that bad. 90 at worst.
Idk... Some of the old ways of building make more sense to me.