ECO
companies, but Lewis stresses this does not have to tip over into voyeurism or the sense that Big Brother is not only watching you, he’s controlling you. “You can do a lot without
identifying individuals. Anonymity does not have to impact on delivery of services. Our platforms can creates avatars, so we are collecting data about the avatar, not the real person.” Equally identifying individuals
can dramatically improve quality of life. Lewis takes the example of an elderly person with a heart condition where technology or sensors within the home can check temperature, breathing and heart rate, automatic health
checks that can be directly linked to responsive care. With the rising number of elderly people, globally as well as in the UK, the function of the home to take pressure off health services is critical. Such data collectively could also prove a rich mine for medical research.
Housebuilders going about their business today are no doubt armed with an iPad, iPhone or both, enjoying the interactivity but not making the connection, literally, with what it could do for their businesses at a macro level. Meanwhile Lewis looks at an iPhone and thinks let’s build a house like this. No make that a city; several cities.
“The level of waste in the housebuilding industry is far higher than other manufacturing industries. Developers have software to simulate what the homes are going to look like, but do they know how are they going to function over time?” says Lewis, striving to make the construction process as efficient and automated as the building of cars or aeroplanes. It is not just the physical fabric of buildings but the human behaviour within and the interaction with the built environment created. “Steve Jobs’ view was that consumers don’t know what they want until they see it.” There are some international
residential developers way ahead of the game, looking to come into the UK market, so the industry might need to re-evaluate its Luddite tendencies quickly. It may soon no longer be acceptable just to deliver the bricks and mortar and the front door key, but provide a series of applications and digital enhancements that support the buyer’s lifestyle, addressing social, as well as environmental issues and even offering the housebuilder the opportunity for
residual income from third party providers if the technology is already in the building. Suddenly a wall is not just a
wall, but doubles up as a high- definition, big screen touch pad for home entertainment, with the housebuilder taking a cut from the digital media provider. Living PlanIT has trademarked its Urban Operating System (UOS), while its PlaceApps, which residents can purchase or subscribe to, are the urban living equivalent of buying applications in the App Store. The UOS software platform connects every urban aspect in an intelligent way, leveraging sensor technologies and cloud communication.
Head in the clouds or feet on the ground? The technology is there, urban populations are rising, natural resources are scarce and the construction processes to meet demand and environmental pressures must change. It needs to happen, but will it happen? Watch this space and especially a space in Northern Portugal – the green future or a white-coated elephant? There is no software to predict the outcome of this urban game- changer. Or perhaps there is.
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Suddenly a wall is not just a wall, but doubles up as a high− definition, big screen touch pad for home entertainment, with the housebuilder taking a cut from the digital media provider
showhouse May 2013 | 57
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