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Two trends are simultaneously developing in current home design, and are beginning to merge. As we begin understanding smart green home design, we are seeing a window to the near future. I enjoy discussing these aspects, so let's touch on each part before we wrap it all together in the end.
What is a green home?
The first trend is based around a sustainable earth model, seeking harmony with it. At one point our ancestors lived in sod huts, in perfect balance with nature. Obviously those days will not return, and I'm totally cool with that. But there is little argument that we have been reckless with the balance that the ecosystem strives to maintain. A sustainable society utilizes the resources of the natural environment, namely rainfall, wind, sun and earth, to achieve the closest as possible to the built environment. A green home is just a smaller version of that.
What is a smart home?
The second trend is fueled by the rapidly advancing technology that is enveloping humanity. Half a century ago a computer filled an entire room. Now we carry them around in our pockets and they have infinitely more capacity. They allow us to run our lives remotely and have the word connected to our fingertips. We conduct transactions, count calories, prepare checklists and read the latest news while waiting for our car to be serviced. The term 'smart phone' has allowed us to connect and work more efficiently. A smart home is just a larger version of that.
What is a green smart home?
As the two trends merge, our interest in in intelligent sustainable homes increases. These are homes of multiple interconnected systems, with the owner supplementing the home's own decision-making process, based on its surrounding environment. It is based on a network of sensors, speakers and cameras. For instance, when the last person leaves the house the A/C system goes into power-saver mode and the alarm automatically activates and lights go into timer mode. This happens as a byproduct of the home's own intelligence, not from the owner typing a code into a control box. Of course, the user has full control over the system.
What is home automation?
I figured I couldn't leave the discussion without mentioning home automation, since that industry has been around long before smart phones. In fact, home automation and smart homes are almost interchangeable terms in popular culture. The major difference is that automation has allowed us to live easier, doors opening, alarm systems activating, timed lights when we're gone. The term 'smart home' introduces one additional aspect... intelligence...bi-directional communication between appliances and a central decision-making engine.
I hope you found this article both enlightening and inspiring. The art of living will be evolving quickly in the near future as as smart and green home design merges, and further advances in technology and sustainability are made. Many companies have Research & Development teams dedicated to bringing the futuristic vision to the present. When it is at our doorstep, we will welcome it just as our house will welcome us when we step inside.
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