Many people shirk technology at home, believing that it drives walls between family members. But, what if it could be used to balance family life?
The 2018 BUILDER Concept Home, designed by BSB Design, demonstrates how home automation can bring wellness and harmony to the home. This project, the reNEWable Living Home, boasts many new technology features and a floorplan for multigenerational households, putting it in the perfect position to combine technology with family life.
No Rising Temperatures
In many homes, temperature control is a constant battle. Not only from a comfort perspective, but from an economic perspective.
With new home automation, homeowners can control and regulate different areas of the home to fit their comfort. As a multigenerational floorplan, the house was designed to have specific areas for different members of the family, including a master suite, a secondary suite, along with common group living areas, and even a Fonzie flat designed to allow for inclusion and separation for an adult child or caregiver.
Home automation features that allow temperature control and zoning throughout the house can let the older generation crank it up to a comfortable 80 degrees and the rest of the house chill out at a much cooler temperature.
Tracking Tasks
Another potential point of irritation with a big family may be dividing and being responsible for certain chores. With home automation, however, this gets much easier. Many of the tasks that may have been fought over are now automated.
The yard is programmed to get water when it needs, alerts are sent for medication schedules, groceries and home care products can be automatically delivered at certain time intervals. This equates to a large amount of time saved, which means more time for family bonding. And, less arguing about whose turn it was to take care of the chore.
“Automation is taking routine tasks that we do or have to remember to do and taking them out of responsibility and focus on the family instead of worrying about nagging details,” says Steve Moore, at BSB Design. “Instead of worrying about turning off the landscape irrigation, people can focus on the relationship instead.”
Health and Wellness
For the project, research was conducted by The Farnsworth Group, to look at the motivations of multigenerational buyers. According to the survey respondents, having a multigenerational household most often means aging parents moving in with primary owners. Almost 60% of those who seek multigenerational options say they are moving in with parents. About 40% of primary residents want multigenerational floorplan options for their adult children. The reNEWable Living Home design proposes a solution for both.
Yet, having an aging parent in the home can mean monitoring health and medicine. Home automation however can take the responsibility off of the family and put it in the hands of a trusted and experienced medical provider. Many products and new technologies exist today that can track a family member’s activities and send alerts to caregivers who don’t have to be there on a constant basis. Read more about 8 technologies for aging in place here.
Scheduling Nightmare
A small family of three can have an overbooked calendar. Imagine what happens when that is doubled or tripled. When there is the schedule of doctor appointments for aging parents, when school aged kids have activities, events, appointments, and all of that is layered onto two full-time working parents and their commitments.
But technology helps not only give the entire family visibility to everyone’s whereabouts, it keeps the home safe and secure when they are coming and going. Homeowners can relax when they feel protected and when they know where the rest of their family is at any given point in the day.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
The music that is appealing to the high school senior and the music that resonates with his grandparents most likely won’t be the same. Nor will the volume level that they like to listen to it. With technology, each can select music by their preference for their area of the home. And do it quickly and easily with a voice command.
Saving Money
The project research also showed that the most important reason primary homeowners seek multigenerational homes is for financial assistance. When saving money is a priority, it will also be a central focus, and may be able to bring everyone closer together by partnering with technology.
With home automation features, multigenerational home buyers can save money on utilities, on child care or elderly care, along with smaller things like running the dishwasher, ride shares and irrigation. And, finding ways to compete and save money via apps or otherwise, can lead to a new way for the family to share and to celebrate together.
The reNEWable Living Home looks at a new way of living, that incorporates thoughtful design for easy, relaxing and rejuvenating lifestyles. These ideas are captured in more detail, along with other aspects of the project at www.builderonline.com/renewable. Plus, the home will be on display in Orlando in January 2018.
