Smart-home systems offer myriad applications, from automatically controlling devices, such as lights and audio, to saving energy. Now, thanks to a first-of-its-kind home outfitted with the latest smart and sustainable technologies and materials, homeowners will be able to improve their physical and emotional health and well-being.
The result? A healthier kitchen, indoor eco-system and night’s sleep, all of which can be adapted to fit a homeowner’s specific needs.
“We’ve created a home that’s purpose-built (from the foundation up) to better connect residents with their health and wellness,” says Dan Bridleman, senior vice president of KB Home, which partnered with BUILDER magazine and numerous inventive companies such as Whirlpool and Delos to create the 3,200-square-foot KB Home ProjeKt in one of its master-planned communities in Henderson, Nev. “It breaks new ground in home building through innovative partnerships that combine architecture, cutting-edge technology, and science to help homeowners improve their physical and emotional health and well-being.”
It all starts with Google Home working alongside the Delos DARWIN Home Wellness Intelligence Network. Among some of the many applications: a Yummly app that works with Whirlpool appliances to help cook and serve healthy, homemade meals by examining the contents of the refrigerator, identifying possible recipes and preparing the oven to cook the selected recipes; a premier air-filtration system that removes harmful air pollutants, as well as antimicrobial paint and drywall, that absorb VOCs from the surrounding air; and noise-reducing walls and windows and circadian lighting that create an ideal sleeping environment, along with areas for activity or relaxation.
Customers can even adapt their systems to best meet their needs. Think moveable walls and furniture to transform rooms into a bedroom, office or entertaining area, along with a “shared hub” that offers community car sharing, community gardens, and a pet pavilion for both grooming and recreation to reduce an individual’s environmental footprint and increase daily interaction among neighbors.
“We chose to collaborate with KB Home to help make DARWIN even more accessible to the mass market,” says Delos CEO and Founder Paul Scialla. “Over 90 percent of our lives are spent indoors and our indoor environments can influence almost every aspect of our lives, from our moods and energy levels to how well we sleep and how productive we are throughout the day.
By enhancing the quality of our air, water, light and other elements of the home, we can transform our homes and other indoor environments into vehicles for health and well-being.”
Coming soon, look for KB Home to offer DARWIN in select communities in the California market, ahead of an envisioned national rollout. Base pricing, according to Delos, begins at about $3,500.
PHOTOGRAPH: STEVE SPATAFORE