By Krissy Rushing Tomlin
The design-build trades and the smart home technology industry tend to think of ‘technology’ a bit differently. A designer, builder or architect might think of technology in terms of building materials, such as translucent wood or light-generating concrete. While a smart home technology designer may view technology in terms of conveniences like a Bluetooth operated kitchen sink or the latest in kitchen appliances that bolster a home chef’s cooking techniques. Regardless of your perspective, technology has been embedded into every room and space within today’s modern performance home.
It’s for exactly this reason that we look forward to Design and Construction Week (DCW) every year. These two shows (NAHB’s International Builders’ Show and the NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show) give us the best of all technological worlds by serving up the latest in-home design and construction technology with a healthy side of smart home automation and appliances. These ‘technology’ elements at DCW commingle to deliver an impactful experience that represents the convergence of all the trades.
This year we’re excited to have several smart home technology luminaries representing the home technology industry at DCW via various educational sessions, including our own Doug Weinstein. Doug will moderate a session at IBS on the Impact of Home Tech In Today’s Design-Build Process. The session will address questions like what technology buyers want and where in the process tech integration should occur. Doug will synthesize opinions from a home builder, application technologist, and technology infrastructure provider for an open conversation about what designers and builders should be considering in today’s high-tech homes.
The Home Technology Association’s CEO Josh Christian will also be conducting panels on technology, including “How to Meet Client Tech Needs and Maintain Your Design Aesthetic” at KBIS and “Profitably Delivering Tech Amenities Clients Want Without Disrupting Your Core Business” at IBS. From the design side, Toni Sabatino of Toni Sabatino Style will deliver a tech-centric session on Smart Technology for Living In Place Clients, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from well-known experts about the new world of devices that can help everyone Live In Place, regardless of their age or physical limitations.
We look forward to seeing how the smart home and design-build communities continue to converge at DCW and will be traversing both the KBIS and IBS show floors in February. Stay tuned for Technology Designer’s full report on the sleekest, most innovative, and most technologically advanced products at DCW.
