DWC Home | Magazine | Back Issues | December 2005 | Special Report

Special Report

What Every Homeowner
Is Looking For
The home of the future is ready now.

When the expected 100,000-plus attendees to the International Builders Show come to Orlando, FL, in January, they most likely will gather at a very timely exhibit: The NextGen Peace of Mind Demonstration Home.

Constructed in the parking lot of the Orange County Convention Center, this 2,500-square-foot home, built by custom homebuilder BrownStone Builders & Associates, will showcase the latest innovations in home building and design from storm-resistant construction to the latest advancements in home air quality, energy efficiency, home control and interior products. This year Draperies & Window Coverings magazine has joined with NextGen home producer, iShow, as a media sponsor of the Peace of Mind demonstration home and Vinylbilt Shutter Systems, Suwanee, GA, is the exclusive interior window coverings sponsor.

PEACE OF MIND

The theme of the 2006 NextGen home is Peace of Mind and it starts with construction. Built to the Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) “Fortified . . . for safer living®” program, the home offers a flexible and affordable means to construct a disaster-resistant new home anywhere in the country. “The NextGen home offers a great opportunity to present the program to builders looking to add this kind of value for their customers,” says Kevin Barber, vice president of communications at IBHS.

Visitors to the home will enjoy not only a look at better building products, but also a hands-on introduction to the latest advancements in home air quality, energy efficiency and home control. “The idea is to meld all of these new technologies into a home that truly offers its resident what every homebuyer is looking for: peace of mind,” says Paul Barnett, president of iShow.

According to the U.S. government, natural gas costs are predicted to jump about 48 percent this winter, significantly raising heating bills across a country where 52 percent of households rely on natural gas to heat their homes. This has left homeowners and homebuilders with strong financial incentives to make today’s homes as efficient as possible. Helping to provide the peace of mind that comes from knowing energy bills will be kept under control, the 2006 NextGen home will feature a range of new efficient products and building technologies, some that also do double duty in helping to create a healthier home.

For example, there’s the radiant floor heating system that saves homeowners up to 30 percent in annual heating costs while providing uniform heating. A non forced-air heating alternative, this system also improves indoor air quality by reducing the circulation of allergens and airborne dust.

The home also will feature the first HVAC system that allows homeowners to control a home’s temperature, humidity, airflow, ventilation, indoor air quality and zoning all from a single control that can be accessed remotely at any time via the telephone or Internet. The system also includes electronic air cleaners, UV lights and an air purifier.

And let’s not forget the windows, a prime candidate for heat loss and gain if not treated. Throughout the home’s interior Vinylbilt shutters will help reduce heating and air-conditioning costs in maintaining a comfortable environment as well as provide fire retardant light control, privacy and security.

Other energy saving features in the home include electronic faucets, Energy Star® appliances and a tankless water heater.

CONSTANT ACCESS

With today’s constantly on-the-go lifestyles, creating peace of mind is also about offering homebuyers constant access to their homes, no matter where they may be. For example, there’s the comfort a busy mom feels in knowing she can call home between meetings and use her phone to access her oven—ensuring that dinner is ready exactly when she wants it to be.

And then there’s the peace that vacationing homeowners will feel knowing that, thanks to new wireless technology, they can monitor and manage almost everything in their home, including lighting and security systems, from anywhere in the world.

In catering to the needs of today’s busy homeowners, however, this year’s NextGen Home is also careful to include technology that takes care of itself, like an HVAC system that advises homeowners when it’s time for regular maintenance and filter changes.

Helping make this type of control possible is the Z-Wave Alliance, a consortium of leading independent manufacturers who have agreed to build wireless home control products based on Zensys’ Z-Wave open standard. Having this standard means every product that bears the Z-Wave mark will work with all other Z-Wave products, with no special programming, regardless of who originally manufacturers the item. As a result, total home control has been made simple, accessible and affordable to consumers everywhere.

Currently, more than 125 companies are developing products that incorporate Z-Wave technology into their home control products. These products fall into every conceivable category from lighting, temperature and entry control to home theaters, appliances, pool and spa controls and more.

Z-Wave partners participating in the 2006 NextGen home include Techniku; Carrier; ControlThink; ELK Products, Inc.; Exceptional Innovation; Intermatic; Logitech; Wayne-Dalton.