Without. We have windows that we can open and close. Inside there is clay plaster and a radiant heat source as heating and no air conditioning, ventilation, or central heating. This leads to excellently regulated humidity. Stuffy room climate only occurred once with a mass of guests in the last pre-Corona winter and was quickly resolved within minutes by cross-ventilation and generous window openings. Like you, I do not have good thoughts when I have forced ventilation ducts all over the house. Alone the combination of regular filter maintenance and my consistency in having regular work done makes me shudder.