Work Started on Research ‘Smart House’

Construction has begun on the first “Smart House” in the National Research Home Park operated by the National Assn. of Home Builders in Bowie, Md., a Washington suburb.

The laboratory house--the first structure to be located in the 51-acre tract--will be used primarily for component testing, evaluation and system integration for Smart House hardware, software and appliances.

The Smart House project is marshaling the resources from more than 40 major manufacturers and 20 trade associations, government agencies and utility firms to introduce a cost-effective system for distributing and controlling gas, electricity, communications and audi-video signals throughout the home, according to David J. MacFadyen, president of the NAHB National Research Center.