Flexible smart home design: Case study to design future smart home prototypes
Raz Kamaran Radha
Abstract
Most Smart home literature is not realistic since technologies are implemented at the end of the design process without taking into account the working, physical, and spatial aspects. No comprehensive work has been done regarding spatial design modifications accommodating the lifestyle requirement of Smart Home inhabitants, especially in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. To fill the knowledge gap the research establishes practical guidelines for designing- Flexible Smart Home Models based on holistic literature review and case study of design preferences using virtual reality experiment and a questionnaire survey. Results indicated higher technology acceptance and flexible spatial integration of public and private zones by younger sample (75 m2 prototype) compared to the older sample with 115 m2 prototype and less versatile space. It was concluded that the opportunity to change scale, form, relation, and configuration becomes simpler, quicker with more possibilities of arranging spaces in smart homes with the help of the hypothetical prototypes.