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A Glass Box of a House in Germany That ‘Thinks’ for Itself

27 points by mr_golyadkin 11y ago

ucaetano 11y ago
"Mostly it is the work of engineers and contractors who (...) have no education in aesthetics." I consider that to be, often enough, a positive thing.
- mc32 11y ago
  Yes, that's true. Overemphasis on aesthetics above functionality tends to result in buildings with quirky problems (the recently new mit buildings) and can stick out like an eyesore once the avant guarde aesthetic falls by the wayside, but I think here they have a point in that many times contractors and other builders go for mass production and so don't often optimize for recyclability or energy usage, etc.
rasur 11y ago
I enjoyed the use of the term 'minicomputer', being old enough to remember minicomputer actually meaning something somewhat larger than the size of a modern day internet router :)
mc32 11y ago
I hope all of the things which are automatically actuated via automation systems and overridden by portable devices (smartphones, etc.) have actual manual overrides (physical handles on doors, windows, blinds, shutters, etc) for when you need manual overrides (ie, there is a fire. I need to get out, in, frantically can't find phone)
coldcode 11y ago
I wonder what the cost would be in bulk. Also how secure the house is against intruders with such light materials.
breakingcups 11y ago
> "As might be expected, there is little need for anything as outdated as a door handle or a light switch — everything is at the tap of an iPad or a smartphone, which can set room and water temperature, switch on the lighting, open and close the windows and even control the refrigerator." Ugh, no not at all. I'd rather instinctively reach a light-switch than reach for my tablet, click the power-button, wait 0.4 seconds for it to turn on, enter my pincode, wait 0.5 seconds before it's usable, open the control app, which takes 3-10 seconds to then navigate to the proper option and tap it.... For the same result.

27 points by mr_golyadkin 11y ago

"Mostly it is the work of engineers and contractors who (...) have no education in aesthetics." I consider that to be, often enough, a positive thing.

mc32 11y ago
Yes, that's true. Overemphasis on aesthetics above functionality tends to result in buildings with quirky problems (the recently new mit buildings) and can stick out like an eyesore once the avant guarde aesthetic falls by the wayside, but I think here they have a point in that many times contractors and other builders go for mass production and so don't often optimize for recyclability or energy usage, etc.

rasur 11y ago

I enjoyed the use of the term 'minicomputer', being old enough to remember minicomputer actually meaning something somewhat larger than the size of a modern day internet router :)

mc32 11y ago

I hope all of the things which are automatically actuated via automation systems and overridden by portable devices (smartphones, etc.) have actual manual overrides (physical handles on doors, windows, blinds, shutters, etc) for when you need manual overrides (ie, there is a fire. I need to get out, in, frantically can't find phone)

coldcode 11y ago

I wonder what the cost would be in bulk. Also how secure the house is against intruders with such light materials.

breakingcups 11y ago

> "As might be expected, there is little need for anything as outdated as a door handle or a light switch — everything is at the tap of an iPad or a smartphone, which can set room and water temperature, switch on the lighting, open and close the windows and even control the refrigerator." Ugh, no not at all. I'd rather instinctively reach a light-switch than reach for my tablet, click the power-button, wait 0.4 seconds for it to turn on, enter my pincode, wait 0.5 seconds before it's usable, open the control app, which takes 3-10 seconds to then navigate to the proper option and tap it.... For the same result.