In praise of the Dumb House

But at this point it seems more of a headache than a blessing to deal with a tech break-in, being hacked – or worse, somehow killing your entire family. As a Gen X’er who is often afraid of change (I never owned a CD player and stuck to my mixtapes until the bitter end), I know the future is coming, but I won’t be an early adopter.

Created by Rafe Churchill of the AD PRO Directory firm Hendricks Churchill he agrees wholeheartedly. Over the past 30 years he has put up several buildings that he says are smart, but today he regrets it. “At the end of the day they create more than frustrated customers and frustrated owners who realize the equipment is out of date,” he says. “At the risk of upsetting potential customers, I believe there is no consolation in the matter of lighting fixtures.”

For me, it’s the idea of ​​a smart kitchen that’s really scary stuff.

In the next year, Samsung will start putting Google Gemini directly into Bespoke AI refrigerators, microwaves, and units. Do I want my fridge cameras to scan my food (the images are called “shelves”) and order more? LG’s Signature Oven Range has introduced Gourmet AI, which recognizes your dishes and automatically places what it deems appropriate. AI Browning monitors the bread and sends notifications when it’s ready. But, like, I’m awake. A fridge that lets me know if my milk is going bad? I have a nose. Do I really need an AI to tell me when a new food is good or bad? What if I can’t turn off the so-called smart oven and my house suddenly burns down?

Curiously, I no longer need a BlueOrigin control center in my kitchen. This room should be a beautiful living space where my family can hang out, not a control room with complicated basics.

Even some showers are now said to be “smart,” controlled by an app, controller, or your voice. AD100 Hall of Fame maker Alexa Hampton describes a bathroom problem that went surprisingly wrong: “Recently I was in a house where I couldn’t get the water in the shower very difficult. I had to ask a roommate for help.”

While AI seems to be entering every aspect of our lives, designers, ironically, are being asked to remove the hassle of carts, automated systems, opting for manual control (hello, faucets!) as the best option. High-tech, custom-built smart systems are often over-engineered, frustrating, and difficult to control, not to mention they may not be good for security. I don’t know much about hackers, but I saw it A Girl With a Dragon Tattooand I take an old-school statue of a computer monitor every day. I want to open the lock, I hear a click. I want my house to look like a good place to play mah-jongg, not make a podcast. I also read about a sensor system that tracks your steps, the floor and lights up the bottom of your feet like a “Billie Jean” movie. No thanks. Automation is not my favorite.

This article appeared first Architectural Digest.