The Evolution of Luxury Home Technology

From Convenience to Necessity

- By Josh Christian

In the domain of luxury living, technology has transitioned from a convenience to a necessity. The pivotal role of technology in our homes is increasingly recognized by architects, interior designers, and builders. Clients’ needs for sophisticated home technologies are causing industry professionals to seek guidance from home technology integrators in the early stages of design. Despite this slowly growing trend, there is a pressing need to promote the need for early design of home technology systems, even before the involvement of framing contractors or electricians. This is a trend I hope that kicks into high gear in 2024 and beyond.

Networks and Prewire: Building the Digital Backbone

With the increasing complexity of luxury home technology, a robust and high-speed network infrastructure is vital to ensure seamless operation. High-quality, reliable home networks are no longer a luxury but necessary, accommodating the demands of distance learning, video conferencing, and digital entertainment.

The latest high-speed Wi-Fi standard is capable of very high speeds over a shorter distance. As such, more wireless access points (WAP) are needed to ensure all the key areas of the home are covered by fast Wi-Fi. Integrators can help design the ideal layout as they access software that helps determine how many WAPs are needed and where they should be located. And a growing trend is to extend fast Wi-Fi coverage to the home’s outdoor areas.

Despite almost every product having a Wi-Fi connection, it is more vital than ever that a home be properly prewired. This may include running fiberoptic cabling and running empty conduits to key locations to future-proof the home. No matter how fast a Wi-Fi system is, it will never be as secure as a wired Internet connection, and all high-speed video streaming works better when hardwired and doesn't strain the Wi-Fi system for other needs.