WELCOME to INNOVATION WAY – Babcock Ranch Telegraph
Kitson & Partners have joined with three national homebuilders — Lennar, Pulte Homes and D.R. Horton — as well as Florida Power & Light, to brainstorm ideas and build prototypes of innovative, oneof a-kind, smart homes.
Located in Lake Timber, Innovation Way is the site of seven experimental homes that will highlight the latest in-home technologies and building materials. Think of it as a living laboratory designed to test and develop cutting-edge homebuilding techniques, materials and products that promise to become new standards in healthy, environmentally sustainable and reasonably priced home construction.
In an unprecedented collaborative effort, Kitson & Partners, the developers of Babcock Ranch, have joined with three national homebuilders — Lennar, Pulte Homes and D.R. Horton — as well as Florida Power & Light, to brainstorm ideas, build prototypes, gather data, share findings and fine-tune their shared vision for the future. According to chairman and CEO Syd Kitson, there’s plenty of enthusiasm to go around for this project. “It’s hard to tell who’s more excited. Our builders, for bringing their innovations to life, or Babcock Ranch, for having them as partners for this oneof a-kind experiment,” he says. “Imagine the largest homebuilders in the country who normally compete with one another, collaborating in an incredibly transparent manner for the greater good. You just don’t see that very often in our industry,” says Tom Hoban, president and CIO of Kitson & Partners. “I applaud our builders and FPL for their spirit of exploration in taking this next step with us. Their teamwork and collaboration are truly inspiring. There’s a feeling among this group that we’re onto something very special here.”
To optimize home energy consumption, FPL will be testing and monitoring electric vehicle chargers, as well as battery-storage systems controlled by app-enabled smart panels that allow homeowners to remotely operate home circuits and monitor usage. “The batteries for Innovation Way will be charged by the grid and can power a home for close to 24 hours,” explains Stevany Cole, FPL project director of development. “Additionally, each home will feature a smart panel that will let you decide which parts of your home you want to power during an outage, like the appliances, internet, ceiling fans and lighting. During an outage, this functionality will assist in maximizing the battery life.”
Imagine living in a smart home where Alexa might greet a homeowner who walks into the house by saying, “Welcome home. It is 78 degrees,’”and then the window shades might come up. COURTESY PHOTOS
Construction innovations to be tested include thermal and acoustical foam insulation; more efficient and intelligent heating and cooling systems; grey water and whole-home eco-friendly water filtration; zero-VOC antimicrobial coatings to reduce odor, inhibit mold growth and improve air quality; UV lighting in bathrooms with anti-microbial disinfectants; air purification and ionization technology to reduce harmful pathogens; smart home features that detect and monitor water consump- tion and leaks; whole-home audio and security systems; recirculating tankless water heaters; motion- and voice-activated faucets; permeable pavers outside that allow water to penetrate into the ground after it rains; and remote and motion-activated lighting.
During the testing process, which is estimated to run for two years, no one will be living in these homes while the builders and FPL run tests and collect data on systems and materials that are not yet on the market.
In the spring, the public will have an opportunity to take self-guided, interactive tours of the homes, which will be equipped with TV screens and other virtual guides. “To demonstrate smart-home capabilities, Alexa may recreate a welcome scene when you walk into the house by saying, ‘Welcome home. It is 78 degrees,’ and then the window shades might come up,” says Kitson. “Other homes will have displays with a QR code that you can hover over with your mobile device and watch a video on your phone that tells you more about a specific innovative material. A section of a wall might be cut out so you can see behind it — revealing a water filtration system covered in plexiglass.”
“Innovation Way represents a new era of the American home and the way we live,” says Hoban. “Ideally, the data will validate our expectations — that these test homes are healthier and reduce energy and water use. When it comes to health and wellness, sustainability, conservation, net-zero energy and carbon neutrality, the impact of Innovation Way across the homebuilding industry could be game-changing. Ultimately, the vision of Kitson & Partners and Babcock Ranch is to create a hometown of tomorrow for everyone and this living laboratory is one way that we can achieve that.”
During the next two years, builders will be experimenting with efficient and intelligent heating and cooling systems; grey water and whole-home eco-friendly water filtration; zero-VOC antimicrobial coatings to reduce odor, inhibit mold growth and improve air quality and more. COURTESY PHOTOS