Talking Stick - May/June 2008 - 10

Just In Smart Start After four years of planning and construction, the Home Depot Smart Home has opened its doors to students at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The Talking Stick ﬁrst reported the construction and programming plans for the home in March 2007. In January 2008, the initial 10 residents moved into the Smart Home, which contains ﬁve double bedrooms and three bathrooms within its two ﬂoors. From the energyefﬁcient appliances to the vegetated roof, the 6,000-square-foot “live-in laboratory” serves as a tribute to environmentally friendly living. Rainwater collection barrels increase efﬁciency by providing water for the irrigation system and washing machines, and solar panels are expected to reduce the home’s total energy consumption by about 30 percent. Student resident and vice president of house initiatives, Mark Gu, describes the home as a “lively, intellectual space.” Having been a part of the Smart Home project for over a year, Gu said he is excited to watch the house continue to evolve. “It’s beyond our wildest dreams,” he says. During their time in the Smart Home, students utilize lab spaces on the ground ﬂoor and in their bedrooms to research and implement ideas that will increase the efﬁciency of the house. They collaborate with each other on projects dealing with green initiatives such as energy conservation and waste reduction; and they incorporate innovative technologies into the Energy efficient appliances fill the home’s kitchen. Top: The back exterior of the Smart Home displays solar panels and the water tank used to take water collected from rainfall either inside or outside. Bottom: A student at work in one of the home’s labs. house, like a doorbell camera system that allows residents to see visitors and unlock the front door from their cell phones. Academic advisers and industry professionals are also available to help students with their research. “Some of the best projects out there are partnerships that include students, faculty, industry, administrators, and local government,” says Smart Home Program Director Tom Rose. When they’re not studying, residents can relax in the media room, where the three LCD televisions and acoustic-enhancing walls ensure that everyone can have fun at once. Students of all majors (both undergraduates and graduate students) are encouraged to apply to live in the Smart Home for a period of one or two semesters. For more information on the Home Depot Smart Home, as well as its residents and their projects, visit www.smarthome.duke.edu. – Kim Setliff Send us your information What are the issues and events that affect your professional life? Have some news that you want to share? The Talking Stick is your magazine, and we need your help to be the authoritative source for campus housing. If you have a story that you think would be appropriate for Just In or another part of the magazine, let us know at talkingstick@acuho-i.org. 10 Talking Stick PHOTOS: MARK GU

http://www.smarthome.duke.edu

Talking Stick - May/June 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2008