Discover which home control design features and responsible building practices went into the construction of HGTV Smart Home 2015. From the experts at HGTV.com.

Source: Smart Design Details at HGTV Smart Home 2015 | Building HGTV Smart Home 2015 | HGTV

Can a home be smart and safe? Ultimately I don’t think it is less safe than a “dumb” house. Everyone loves technology. We love our phones. We love our apps. When you have an app that can end the need to search for keys or no longer have a clunky black box with one button clipped to our visors. You bet these technologies are going to get attention.

Things are always cool in concept but is it practical?

I know controlling your homes temperature through your phone or tablet seems convenient, but is it practical. How often do you change the temp in your house, when you’re there? Not often right? Well you don’t, if you are. If you didn’t know, it is better to keep the temp in your house at a constant temp. Not varying any more than 2 degrees from daytime to evening. This way your system is not working for an extended period to adjust the temperature. Think of it as a car on cruise control. The motor doesn’t have to rev to pass or lose momentum because you’re breaking. So what has changed when you’re not there? The sales pitch “change the temp while you’re traveling”.  So, my opinion, those basics don’t justify the need of an app that keeps track of what the temperature was set this time last year.

Getting rid of my house keys would be nice. They’re not in a pocket scratching your phone screen. However I stop short of handing over money because I am thinking of “what if”. What if I lose my phone? What if my phone is stolen? or the even bigger hurdle; What if not everyone in your home as a phone? OR What if my child is grounded and can’t have their phone back?

I believe I am being practical and not cynical. What do you think? Here is another perspective of a world-famous architect.

Rem Koolhaas has spoken out against the way technology is infiltrating buildings, describing the rise of smart systems as “potentially sinister”

Source: Architects underestimate “potentially sinister” smart-home technologies says Rem Koolhaas