2015 is well under way, bringing with it exciting new innovations in custom home construction. And it all has to do with one aspect: technology. Technology is constantly making advances, providing homeowners with new avenues for luxury, comfort and convenience. And nothing epitomizes this fact more than the technological advances that have been made in home automation.

Technology, Design & Home Automation

In their list of top 10 homebuilding trends, Dallas Culture Map sums up their predictions with a single motif: technology. First on their list is home automation — what is this aspect of custom home design? How does it work, and how might you incorporate it into your new custom home?

What is Home Automation?

First of all, what is automation? Automation means setting something up to do something automatically. Most people think of computers — your computer can automatically back up, notify you of tasks, shut off at a certain time, etc.

Imagine that your home is a computer. That means you can set it up to do something automatically: anything from dimming the lights to playing music to altering the air conditioning.

How Does Home Automation Work?

With automation, the possibilities are endless. And if that doesn’t already sound exciting, here’s more: due to amazing advances in home automation technology, it can often be controlled from your phone, tablet or computer!

It works by connecting each automated device through a centralized network, often a house’s local area network (LAN). This allows homeowners to access their automation settings from electronic devices that are connected to the internet. At the same time, it provides the same level of security as accessing your bank account online.

Custom Home Design With Automation

The great thing about home automation is how complimentary it is with custom home design. The spirit of custom home building means customizing anything in your home to your own needs, and nothing accomplishes this more than automated housing components. You can use them for:

• HVAC: automating temperature, humidity, and (with many automated HVAC systems) shutting windows.
• Lighting: Scheduling lights to turn on/off, dimming lights, or using motion sensors to turn on/off when someone enters the room.
• Intercoms
• Security: cameras, codes, and alerts for security breaches.
• Home Entertainment Systems: audio/visual automation, surround-sound and stereo customization, and automatic shutdown/startup
• Outdoors: automated pool and hot tub heating, jet-stream bubbles, cleaning, and lighting.
• Others: watering plants, feeding pets, and specialized automation to make life more manageable for the disabled and/or elderly. The possibilities are virtually limitless!