Because digital homes must keep pace with technology, these architects are tweaking their plans.
ELECTRONICS ARE as much a part of the 21st-century house as kitchen islands were integral to 1990s homes. They're increasingly expected amenities.
But unlike the kitchen island, or even the family room—parts of a home that might evolve every decade or so—technology is ever improving. In July, no sooner did Apple roll out its heavily anticipated iPhone than reports surfaced of a new iPhone in the works—for later this year. Such constant flux presents a tricky balancing act for residential architects who must keep up with the latest digital systems.
How do they devise ways to seamlessly incorporate technology into their blueprints while allowing for future upgrades? By listening, anticipating, and adjusting to the desires of a new generation of home buyers.
“I act as facilitator,” says Rich Granoff, principal of R.S. Granoff Associates in Greenwich, Conn. “There are lots of different systems we can automate in the home: lighting, heating and cooling, security. I try to find out what level of technology my clients are comfortable with and then determine their priorities.”
As the architect, Granoff tries to “get into the heads” of his clients. “I try to figure out what suits them best and then match up the different systems and subcontractors that are out there.” Sometimes that's a full-blown Crestron control system—if they want to manage a number of subsystems or maintain operations in a second home—or it could be a stand-alone lighting system from Lutron.
Whatever the system, the solution usually requires critical components that didn't draw architectural consideration in the not-too-distant past. Having determined the level of installed technology, architects begin accommodating it. And the trick is to create a design that accommodates it today—and in the future.
Adding a Room
 THE FACILITATOR. Architect Rich Granoff, here in his new digitally controlled wine cellar, matches his plans to clients' technology comfort level.
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Among the most significant design requirements of today's digital homes is often a whole other room not envisioned a decade ago. Granoff incorporates a separate control room to act as the hub for all electronics, whether it's a structured wiring system or a stack of equipment to handle all the video and audio distribution in the home.
Granoff, like other forward-looking architects, understood the importance of having a structured wiring backbone early on. It was the structured-wiring can, in fact, that led to the need for a separate technology hub in a centralized, yet out-of-the way location. The hub expanded to include control wires for lighting, security, home entertainment, and control systems.
Having the luxury of lower levels common in the Northeast, Granoff can carve out space for a climate-controlled electronics hub from a section of unused basement. “Most of the equipment is sensitive; basically, they're all computers,” he says. By keeping them running cool, clients don't have to worry about overheating and thus shortening the life of the electronics.
In addition to anticipating home buyer needs, architects try to stay up on technology and anticipate product trends. For instance, says Granoff, these days wireless networking generates buzz “because it's easier, cheaper, and faster.” But his designs still call for structured wiring to every room, “just in case in two or three years there's technology that needs wires,” he says.
