It is vital that home owners are able properly to control the new generation of hi-tech homes
The more complex something is the more likely it is to go wrong or not meet expectations. There is a lot of truth in the saying ‘keep it simple, stupid!’, particularly for buildings. But it doesn’t have to be true and I believe that it will become less so over the coming years.
Consider the motor car; it is difficult to argue that modern cars are simple things and yet they are, with some variation between manufacturers, remarkably reliable and simple to use. The reason is that the controls are familiar, broadly intuitive and there is no real need to look under the bonnet at the complexity (literally and figuratively).
Yet with most residential buildings we expect the occupants to be able to maintain systems, diagnose problems and then be willing to pay for a variety of trade professionals to service different parts of the building. As we head towards zero carbon homes, design teams are having to consider more complex solutions which, because they are unfamiliar to builders and users alike, will exacerbate the pressure on the homeowners. The worry is that this disconnect between the sophistication of future homes and the understanding of the homeowner will result not only in missed energy targets but also in health problems due to underperforming ventilation systems. The solution is not to compromise on the ambition but to improve the controls an