Urban

Los Angeles, the Southern California Institute of Architecture and the California Institute of Technology are running a poster child for a new generation of smart homes. CHIP, which stands for Compact Hyper-Insulated Prototype, is a prefab, solar-powered home designed to challenge every architecture and engineering preconception about the net-zero-energy home.

The home’s energy functions are connected to a central, Internet-capable automation system that allows lights, air conditioning, home entertainment and irrigation systems to be turned on and off remotely.

Cape Town, the home building industry is similarly exploring innovative ways to go greener and smarter.

Architect Matthew Beatty says green building principles are not being driven by environmental concerns alone. Rapidly rising operating and utility costs, electricity and water usage in particular, will force us to turn to energy-efficient buildings.…

“Civil unrest could be a very high probability,” says a ten-term US congressman from Maryland. “….those who understand, need to take advantage of this opportunity when the winds of strife are not blowing to move their families out of the city.”…

The conventional wisdom is that if the system breaks down for reasons of economic collapse, or some sudden natural disaster, then the best place to be is the countryside, in a rural community with provisions and the means to grow more.

However a few folks on different discussion boards have been questioning that – wondering whether actually the city might be a better bet…..I have opened a discussion about that over in our forum.

Here are two views from the off-grid Facebook page:

Noreene Bailey-Treece says: I am in the country and would prefer to be there (in an Emergency. I have medical training. am used to going without so called vital services. i feel i would fare better at home in the country. As for shelters.. as a parent i would not take my children to one. there is too much risk and danger there for them. ie the superdome in New Orleans. …