It used to be that we’d judge how “futuristic” our present actually was by comparing it to The Jetsons; where are our jetpacks, our flying cars, or that mind-blowing home food replicator that could whip up anything from a soufflé to a steak dinner at the push of a button!?
In some ways, we actually have a lot of those things and more these days from smartwatches to 3D printers; the present is actually pretty futuristic after all, even if the promise of jetpacks has yet to be fully realized.
While the dawning of 2017 was still marked by the same requisite fireworks and champagne toasts we’d have rung in the new year with a century ago, the present, it turns out, is marked by an evolution of intention and creativity, as much as innovation and invention.
So where is future taking our homes in 2017?
Thinking BIG, Living Small
The days of Cadillacs a mile long, and homes that take up a full half an acre, may be behind us. With the rise of climate consciousness and sustainability, increased energy costs and the veritable deluge of efficient home building practices, today’s families are starting to think bigger by building a smarter and a little smaller.
Tighter, more moderately sized and intentionally designed homes are becoming the norm as families are looking to reduce overall energy consumption, and build with the immediate landscape and greater environment in mind. Today, space and comfort are not simply about size and scope, but ingenuity and intentionality.
Builders and architects in 2017 are opening their minds big enough to see the infinite uses of intentional space, and families are embracing a present that is always thinking ahead.
The Present Primitive
Sticks and stones – the building blocks of civilization itself are making a conspicuous comeback. Modern homes with traditional, artisan touches, complement both the landscape and the ethic of the 21st century far better than the plastics and polymers that seemed revolutionary in the mid-1970s.
Timber framing with locally sourced hardwoods and fieldstone facades that reflect the timelessness and resiliency of stonewalls snaking through fields, all thoughtfully accented with brass and cast-iron hardware – these features embody an appreciation for the values and industriousness of the past, with the common sense and ingenuity of the present.
Net-Zero Energy
Home building in 2017 is poised to go where no home has gone before. While sticks and stones still provide the framework of today’s homes, fiber optics, Wi-Fi, ultra-efficient heat pumps, next generation foam insulation, solar roofing, LED lighting, and integrated smart-home technology are redefining the future in ways even The Jetsons never considered.
While the pinnacle net zero energy home may yet be on the horizon, homebuilders, architects and designers are poised to make incredible strides in that direction in the coming years, and families everywhere are clamoring to capitalize on this energy efficiency revolution to build and buy what can only be called, the homes of the future.
Happy New Year from all of us at Smith Building Company, your custom home contractors!
