Yes, your home can benefit your health and wellness
Sleep. Energy. Mood. Emotional and physical health. Everything inside your body can be improved by technology in your home. A smart home can support these and other aspects of wellness. Lighting and shading, acoustics, temperature, air and water quality, and power and security reassurance all play a role.
As an expert in smart home technology, we recognize the unique potential of each room in a home to enhance health and wellness through advanced technology. Drawing upon the latest industry insights, including those from a recent CE 2024 Health & Wellness Tech Report, we provide tailored technological solutions that optimize living spaces for better health and comfort. Here’s how technology can be integrated into kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms to improve overall wellness.
If designing and integrating technology has thought us anything over the years, is that specifiers in the design-build community – architects, interior designers, end-users and specialized trades – have one thing in common: they “don’t know what they don’t know”
Revolutionizing Residential Wellness: Introducing the WELL Residence Program
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative, the WELL Residence Program, marking a significant advancement in residential health and wellness standards. With an initial cohort of 25 global pilot participants, this innovative program has already captured the interest of the residential sector, encompassing nearly 30,000 homes worldwide.
This pioneering stage allows IWBI to collaborate closely with international stakeholders, gathering valuable feedback to fine-tune this groundbreaking standard. The WELL Residence Program, initially launched in 2014, has gained remarkable traction post-pandemic, reflecting a growing global commitment to integrating health and sustainability into residential design.
The WELL Residence Program introduces over 100 practical strategies aimed at crafting homes that embody the core principles of wellness and resilience. These guidelines are meticulously designed to empower architects, developers, and builders to elevate living standards across both single-family homes and multi-dwelling units (MDUs).
Earning the WELL Residence Certification
To qualify for the prestigious WELL Residence seal, projects must undergo a rigorous third-party review, achieving at least 40 points through selected wellness strategies. Additionally, projects may secure a pre-certified WELL Residence status during the preliminary design phase, showcasing their commitment to health-centric design principles even before construction concludes.
Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of IWBI, expressed enthusiasm about working alongside the pilot participants and hundreds of residential sector stakeholders. “This transformational roadmap not only sets a new benchmark for healthy living environments but also encourages industry leaders to prioritize health-first strategies in the design, operation, and maintenance of homes,” Hodgdon stated. She also commended the pilot participants for their dedication to fostering healthier living conditions.
By integrating these advanced wellness standards, the WELL Residence Program is set to redefine quality living, making health and well-being accessible to homeowners worldwide.
Kitchen: The Heart of Health Technology
The kitchen is often the center of daily activities, making it a prime candidate for health and wellness technologies
- Smart Appliances and Water Purification: Integrating smart appliances that can help monitor nutritional information and manage food storage efficiently is essential. Additionally, advanced water purification systems ensure that the water used for drinking and cooking is free of contaminants.
- Circadian Lighting: Implementing lighting systems that adjust based on the time of day supports natural wake and sleep cycles, promoting better health and aligning with the body’s internal clock.
- Motorized Shades: Automated shades can adjust to let in natural light during the day while providing privacy and darkness when needed, further supporting the body’s circadian rhythm.
- Audio-Visual: Having to prepare meals every day without any kind of entertainment, it gets very boring, very quickly. More than that, during parties everyone is where the food and drinks are, so AV in the kitchen is a no-brainer.
Bedroom: Sanctuary for Rest and Recovery
Bedrooms benefit greatly from technologies that promote restorative sleep and relaxation
- Advanced Climate Control: Systems that maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels create a comfortable sleeping environment.
- Soundscapes and Noise Control: Integrating sound systems that can play soothing soundscapes or utilize noise cancellation technologies can enhance sleep quality by creating a calming atmosphere and blocking out disruptive noises.
- Smart Bedding: Beds equipped with sleep tracking technology can monitor sleep patterns and adjust to improve sleep quality, such as adjusting firmness based on the sleeper’s position.
Bathroom: Center for Relaxation and Rejuvenation
Bathrooms can be transformed into spa-like retreats with the right technology
- Chromotherapy Showers: Showers with integrated lighting that can change colors to create therapeutic effects, promoting relaxation and mood enhancement.
- Hidden TV or Smart Mirrors: Integrated AV systems or smart mirrors can display health metrics, news, or weather, and enhance routines with features like anti-fog capabilities and integrated lighting that simulates natural light for makeup application or skincare routines.
- High-Tech Toilets: Toilets with built-in bidets, seat warmers, and health tracking capabilities, such as analyzing waste to provide health insights.
Living Room: Hub for Well-Being
The living room also plays a crucial role in the home’s wellness ecosystem
- Air Quality Monitoring and Improvement: Integrating air purifiers with smart technology to continuously monitor and respond to air quality issues is key for a healthy living environment.
- Dynamic Lighting Systems: Just like in other areas, lighting in the living room that adjusts throughout the day can help maintain natural body rhythms and enhance mood.
- Virtual Fitness and Relaxation Zones: With the rise of smart home gyms and virtual reality wellness experiences, the living room can double as a space for physical activity and mental relaxation.
Let us Design Your Health- and Wellness- Conscious Home
Each room in the home offers unique opportunities to embed health and wellness technologies that improve quality of life. As a leading expert in smart home integrations, I ensure that these technologies not only meet the specific needs of each space but also seamlessly integrate into the aesthetic and functional demands of modern living. By adopting these health-focused technologies, homeowners can enjoy a more connected, healthy, and comfortable living environment.