Your smart home future is here

Christopher Chitty20 Dec 2016

Using a computer to manage the security of a home is nothing new.

Expensive air conditioning and security systems have been installed in the most expensive homes around the world for a long time. But in the last couple of years, these systems have moved from the computer on your desk, to the computer in your pocket. And they have done whilst adding a stunning array of new features to match the modern lifestyle.

All-in-one control

The new Habitap App is an excellent example of just how these controls have changed. Pre-installed motion and temperature sensors – as well the controls that manage them remotely from your smartphone – are embedded in home systems that cover everything from the air conditioning to lighting and surveillance systems by Swedish security brand Keypasco.

The clubhouse areas of Corals at Keppel Bay, which feature a function room, gym and a multi-function studio. Image: Keppel Land

The clubhouse areas of Corals at Keppel Bay, which feature a function room, gym and a multi-function studio. Image: Keppel Land

But Habitap is more than and smart home controller. You can book the facilities available in your building and coordinate guest lists for gatherings at home – even arrange for food deliveries and transport services via partnered companies such as Grab and Deliveroo. There is kudos too.

The residents of Corals at Keppel Bay, for example, will be among the first to use this kind of app in the whole of Asia.

Manage household appliances as well as book services and facilities with the Habitap app. Image: Habitap/ Philip Tang & Sons

Manage household appliances as well as book services and facilities with the Habitap app. Image: Habitap/ Philip Tang & Sons

A digital butler at your service

Residents of the upcoming Executive condominium (EC) project The Visionaire will be able to take advantage of a slightly different approach to home automation and control with a combination of the facilities, services and lifestyle HiLife app and the Samsung Smart Home App.

Here, booking condominium facilities such as function rooms, the tennis court or barbeque pits can be done through HiLife. The same app can also serve as a ‘digital butler’ – able to recommend lifestyle services and events that are local to The Visionaire building.

The HiLife app provides a concierge service that can recommend and list events and service providers that are available in your neighbourhood. Image: HiLife Interactive

The HiLife app provides a concierge service that can recommend and list events and service providers that are available in your neighbourhood. Image: HiLife Interactive

For managing each of 10 home appliances pre-installed in your smart home unit is the Samsung Smart Home App. Your appliances contain the appropriate motion and temperature sensors and control systems, covering everything from digital locks to surveillance cameras, washing machines, fridges, lighting, air conditioning and the sound system.

The app can also monitor power usage of these household appliances, and send you an alert if there are any unexpected visitors.

Units come fitted with Samsung appliances, which can be controlled remotely via the Samsung Smart Home app. Image: Samsung Asia

Units come fitted with Samsung appliances, which can be controlled remotely via the Samsung Smart Home app. Image: Samsung Asia

Just the essentials

There’s room for flexibility and customisation too, for homeowners who can’t decide if their home should be partially or fully automated. While its smart home features are not as extensive as others, the units of The Wisteria do come with controls for the essentials (lighting, air conditioning, and main door lock) that even the tech-averse might appreciate.

The Wisteria

The Wisteria

These units use the ABB-free@homesystem, which is installed in the living room, master bedroom, as well as dining room of each unit; it offers the convenience of controlling the lights and air conditioning of these spaces, with just one switch or via voice activation. You can use an app to remotely manage these appliances, and the door lock as well. Families can purchase other compatible appliances and add on smart features to the other rooms later, after they have grown used to these automated functions.

Green and smart

One more perk of using smart controls is that they host eco-friendly features which can save you money and help keep Singapore green. For example, the Lake Grande condominium near Jurong Lakeside District has put motion sensors along its common corridors to control lighting, as well as in its smart home units.

Residents even get to charge their mobile devices in an eco-conscious way with the condo’s outdoor fitness equipment, which uses kinetic energy generated by your workout to fuel your phone battery. Within the smart homes themselves, everything from the lighting, home entertainment system, biometric door locks to the electrical appliances can be controlled remotely, depending on the owner’s preferences.

You don’t even need to leave the house to book a condominium facility. The app can also manage facility bookings for function rooms as well as bicycle loans; residents can cycle around the district on bicycles from the condominium’s sharing facility.

The Echelon. Image: City Developments Limited

The Echelon. Image: City Developments Limited

Another eco-conscious property of note is the recently completed Echelon condominium, which received the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award for its environmentally-friendly and tech-savvy features. These include a home energy management system that is pre-installed in its suites, premium units, and penthouses.

These feature smart appliances from Japanese brand Daiwa House, to help monitor and manage your electricity usage.

To read more about interesting developments in new projects, check out PropertyGuru’s unbiased reviews of new condos!

This article was edited by Christopher Chitty, Senior Content Specialist at PropertyGuru

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