Recently, I read this article by John F. Wasik about the antiquated methodology used to build the homes we live in.   Thanks to renowned green building designer and blogger  Michelle Kaufman through whom I discovered the article via her blog.  And thanks to her again for the image of the Smart + Wired Home image below.

One of the most striking things about it is the contrast between the technology we now have at our disposal – cellphones, laptops, flat panel T.Vs, integrated audio systems, etc – and the homes in which this technology works.  Shockingly, it is pointed out that with respect to construction, not much has changed since the last turn of the century from the Nineteenth to the Twentieth Centuries, never mind the transition from the Twentieth Century to the Twenty-First.

Once again, the importance of imagination cannot be undervalued when it comes to bringing the construction industry into the future.  The developing technologies that can more efficiently bring hot water, heat, and light into residences and offices are slowly being revised.  They are not mainstream, but they could be.

What if we made homes smarter, first by adding our own smarts in their construction.  And then, what if we built in smart technology so that a home can gauge for itself how to provide optimum energy use in the most efficient means possible all year round?   Luckily, this isn’t science fiction.  But, it’s not exactly the norm yet either.  Here’s what John F. Wasik has to say about the advantages of such a building:

The Smart + Wired Home costs nine times less to heat and three times less to cool than a standard home of the same size. The gorgeous, spacious interior is full of low-voltage lighting, fixtures made of recycled materials and lets in generous amounts of light.

Technology has allowed greater efficiency and performance in nearly every other area of life, particularly around telecommunications and entertainment industries.   It makes sense to do the same when it comes to the building industry too. After all, when it comes to technology, what is more important than the health and performance of the places in which we live and work?

It seems that green building principles will not only create a more sustainable use of resources, it can potentially revive a flagging economy through the dividends of energy savings. This will help the building industry catch up to the future which is unfolding before us in more ways than just in terms of using sexy technology.  This is about a healthy industry for the rest of the century and beyond, and about affordable housing for everyone, too.

Take a look at the Smart+Wired Home exhibit from the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to see this technology in action.  You can buy tickets to tour the home and see it for yourself.

Cheers,

Rob.