Our founder and principal was invited to comment on the incorporation of home technologies in luxury homes by Prestige Property in 2006.
David Hillam, director of Hillam Architects, says the most common items people request in new homes are more sophisticated distribution of sound and entertainment, and data wiring with networking of computers.
“But even that’s changing with the advent of wireless technology,” he says.
“We’ve also done programmable lighting in some homes – where you can switch on or off any combination of lights – although there hasn’t been a high uptake of that.”
Programmable lighting is done via C-Bus, a Clipsal system. But the cost – up to $20,000 – deters some people.
“Some people are taking up new technology in their homes, but many are conservative,” Mr Hillam says. “They don’t see others doing it, so they hold back.”
But some are planning ahead. Mr Hillam’s firm wired a data connection to the fridge space in one home.
Mr Hillam predicts change will come soonest in active and passive energy-saving measures, sophisticated window-shading devices and lower-energy heating and cooling systems.
