The i-House that thinks for itself » Health » 24dash.com

The most intelligent and sustainable house in Britain has been opened in the Black Country.

Community regeneration agency BCHG (Black Country Housing Group) has transformed a derelict, terraced house in West Bromwich, into a home of the future which pioneers the latest technologies for sustainable, assisted living.

BCHG, ergonomics specialist Ergonova and health sector champion Medilink West Midlands worked in partnership on the ground-breaking i-House for the Urban Living housing pathfinder, with support from Advantage West Midlands and West Bromwich Building Society.

The £146,000 i-House showcases features such as a wheelchair lift which connects the living room and bedroom, a keyless entry system and a memory aid which prompts daily activities and the taking of medication. Specialist software can monitor the resident’s health and instantly feed it back via a computer generated voice.

Door handles are designed to minimise infection and hands-free, scald-free taps that turn themselves off are all brought together under one home-intelligence computer system.

Not only does the i-House offer people with health problems greater independence and control over their lives, it minimises environmental impact, demonstrating the principles of the Sustainable Inclusive Design Standard.

The home also features specialist insulation and ventilation, automated lighting and the latest in Air Source Heat Pump technology to significantly reduce fuel costs.

Director of Sustainable Development at BCHG, Richard Baines, said: “BCHG works in some of the most deprived communities in the West Midlands and it is not enough to simply provide housing for our residents.

"We have to meet the challenges of those communities head-on by developing the latest technologies for sustainable, assisted living to reduce living costs and give our residents greater independence.

“The i-House is designed to be aspirational in appearance rather than stigmatised by traditional and often utilitarian adaptations, like wheelchair ramps and handrails.”

John Mitchell, principle consultant from Ergonova said: “This is a fantastic house. To be able to live like anyone else in spite of hearing or sight impairment, limited mobility or any other limitation is a huge step forward. This is what barrier-free living is all about.”

Rob Chesters, i-Health network manager for Medilink West Midlands, added: “While the Government is ensuring that new houses will be built to become lifetime homes, capable of accommodating technology to assist living in the future, the i-House addresses more immediate needs, retro-fitted, scaleable solutions.

“It will also ensure that innovative, new product development is focused on assisted living in the future meeting the needs of an aging population.” 

Currently there are 17.5million people living with chronic conditions in the UK and recent estimates published by the Department of Health state that by 2030, incidences of chronic disease in the over 65’s will more than double.

A YouGov survey taken in June last year revealed that 87 per cent of people said they wanted to remain in their own home after retirement, with less than 1 per cent wanting to live in a care home.

Christina Keey-Andersen, Medical Technologies Cluster Manager, Advantage West Midlands said: “Intelligent Health is an area of huge potential for our regional industry to develop new products for a rapidly emerging market.

"The i-House marks a great step forward in the future delivery of healthcare and this is the first time that healthcare specialists, local authorities and businesses across the UK can see and learn from the techniques and technologies in development. Then we can all begin to invest in sustainable, lifetime housing for our aging generation.”