Presented in conjunction with WORKSHOP’s student design competition and exhibition called HOUSE 2020, a building scientist, a computer scientist, and two architects will discuss smart homes and the underlying question, “What is Smart Now?”
For more than half a century, visionaries and companies such as Monsanto, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Samsung have promoted the concept of technologically smart homes with highly integrated interactive systems. However, few of these homes have actually been realized, leaving us to wonder why. Meanwhile, architects, builders and home owners have become aware of the advantages of being smart in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability, from using common sense to selectively employing high-tech. But now, with the digital realm and software advancing rapidly, will sophisticated smart home systems merge with recent advances in high-performance materials and energy-efficient construction, making “totally smart” (and affordable) homes commonplace? Will we finally be living in the magical future that was imagined 50 years ago? And what are the implications for architects and architectural education?
This panel discussion takes place at 6:30pm on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 in the lower concourse of 80 Bloor Street West in Toronto. The panel is comprised of: Paul Dowsett, Architect and Founding Principal of Sustainable.TO; Srinivasan Keshav, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo; Ted Kesik, Professor of Building Science at the University of Toronto; Janna Levitt, Founding Partner of LGA Architects in Toronto; and moderator Larry Wayne Richards, Creative Director of WORKSHOP.
This is a free, public event. However seating is limited and registration is required. Please RSVP at http://workshoptoronto.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=89cea795149fbb4db228eb419&id=cdbe3b8918.
For more information on WORKSHOP, please visit http://workshoptoronto.com/