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By Sara Hart
Opportunities for architects
Although this strangely egalitarian approach to design will
make many architects and designers blanch, the larger point
is not to replace the architect. The point of Chassis and
Infill and VirAps approaches is to bring excellence into the
design of those homes in which architects have never been
strong collaborators. Larson thinks that digital tools and
Web-based databases could make it possible for well-known
residential architects to license their brands for mass marketing
in the same way they do with furniture and other home accessories.
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Visual monitoring. This research explores the future
of preventive medicine in the home. Biometric data alone
is insufficient for early detection of many conditions.
In the House_n lab, a computer-vision system identifies
the location and activity of occupants. In the house of
the future, the technology will be embedded in the environment. |
“Architects could play a major role and have a significant
impact if they approach the problem at a higher level by developing
strategies that allow for thousands of houses—rather than
one—to be produced in line with a particular vision by
creating ‘design engines,’ ” insists Larson.
The MIT team sees all of this digital technology becoming a
reality with sweeping ramifications for the home. Larson writes
about the year 2015 in which “savvy, well-capitalized companies
from outside the housing industry have taken over the market,
and speculative developers have all but vanished. Behind the
scenes, software agents have already negotiated with lenders,
installers, and energy and service providers.” The buyer
will calculate monthly costs ahead of time, buy a 20-year warranty,
and purchase upgrading and maintenance packages.
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Students Byron Stigge and Tyron Yang made a horizontal-display
prototype to help home occupants monitor and plan energy
conservation. |
“The shrink-wrapped, digitally tagged house components
arrive on the site four weeks after ordering, and three installers
connect the pieces together using conductive, industrial Velcro
Fasteners,” imagines Larson. The owners move in two weeks
later.
Far-fetched? Hardly. Already, the electronics, automotive,
materials, and other industries are replacing their commodity-
based model by selling services, systems, and experiences.
The house is next.
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