The Future Home Opens Its Doors

By Digital Trends Staff July 20, 2005

Where would the ultimate connected condominium for urban living be located? Seattle, naturally. Anna Maria Canales knew little about designing her own home, so she conducted some research and ended up with The Future Home.

The Future Home sits at the corner of First Avenue and Cedar Street in Seattle’s Belltown district and will host an open house for the press on August 3. Canales will demonstrate features like the voice recognition and music distribution systems, and she will answer questions about the fruition of the project. Canales worked to integrate the following elements into her state-of-the-art home: affordability, scalability, safety, energy-efficiency, comfort, convenience and enjoyment. It’s more than just high-end entertainment

“As a home owner, it was important that my home be scalable to future technology as technology moves forward, yet not be technology-weighted,” said Canales. “It needed to be balanced and unobtrusive, to incorporate art and a sense of style, while still being cutting-edge, using technology as a means to complement my lifestyle, not define it.”

Coupling voice recognition with the thermostat and lighting controls, The Future Home responds to the owners programmed wishes. All this technology sounds expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. According to Canales, the key to designing a house like this is to hire a systems integrator to discuss, evaluate and offer suggestions. Other sources of information include trade shows, manufacturers and home magazines.

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