The Construction Needs of a Modern Hi-Tech Castle

I know a lot of us have a vision of our dream home and all the built-in features to provide complete comfort.

I am one of those who has a specific idea of the things I would want incorporated into my dream home. As the days continue to pass me by, I am increasingly aware of more and more features that I want incorporated into the design.

A game room, built-in bar, lavish bathrooms, inviting bedrooms, commercial grade appliances, exotic flooring, cutting edge wall and window treatments, and exposed beam, vaulted/trey ceilings are just a few of the design features I would love to have - but there are others and, in my opinion, they are crucial for a modern dream home.

An interactive home that boasts a state-of-the-art security system, an unrivaled entertainment/media center, as well as several other advanced tech components - like the new water heaters that instantly provide virtually unlimited supply of hot water.

There are so many possibilities of modern technology available that a list of them would be quite extensive...

Recently I have been fantasizing about my dream home and I have decided that my home should not only offer these hi-tech features that provide incredible comfort, but it should serve a purpose in my life for more than just a comfortable home base. It should provide vital information about our current physical conditions, work-related assistance, and the ability to monitor several areas of our life for multiple family members.

As I continue to think about what this home needs to offer these amenities. I had to determine what functions need to be addressed to yield this type of system. I came up with several ideas, but I was having trouble identifying where to start, then I realized I should start from the outside in.

Instead of cookie-cutter framing and wall construction, the framing an walls need to provide a greater function that their initial design purpose, which is to keep out the weather.

I need the outer skeleton of my home to act as a barrier to the outside world. It needs to act like a complete shield for inner/outer separation and it needs to do so with little to no breaches. I want it to provide a barrier from all the outside elements, especially those we can not see - radio waves, inaudible sounds etc.

I have no real idea of what material should be used to create such a barrier. I thought about the possibility of lead lining, for obvious reasons I decided another material would need to be used.

Entertaining the use of lead as a shielding medium came from the house-hold knowledge of lead being a very good encapsulating material, where it's contents needs protection from harmful frequency waves. I am not even sure I am accurate in thinking that lead is a great blocking material, but it is the only material that comes to mind.

The reason I think using a barrier material for my home is important comes from the claims that many radio waves are not healthy, such as cell phone signals, over an extended period of exposure. Even though these waves can not be avoided, the exposure can be limited and that may provide the armor we need to avoid the adverse effects of invisible radiation waves.

I need to identify a material/s that can act alone or be combined with others to create a very good protective shield. This material or combination also needs to be very inexpensive and relatively easy to handle and work with.

Once I have this material identified, then I can move on to what else I would like to include in my dream house.

I know I am writing to you from 'FantasyLand', but I'd really like your assistance in identifying a material for this step of the home design.

I'd also like you to tell me what you believe would be another great feature for this concept home design. There are many other aspects of the home that can be re-designed to afford the occupant a way to assess their health on a daily schedule.... not only physical health, but mental health as well.

Do you have an idea for any features designed specifically to focus on mental health, providing the best chance for a home-owner to maintain a healthy outlook on life and an emotionally happy attitude?

Nothing is too far out to be considered, so let me know what you are thinkings, also feel free to suggest any features that need to be included for the house to reach maximum efficiency potential.


****I hate when a thread pops up and people begin to reply, only to find the has OP apparently abandoned the thread only moments after it's publication. That's why I am including this note;

As I was writing this thread, I got tied up in some personal business. Now I need to leave for a few minutes, maybe an hour or so, but I'll be back ASAP to answer any comments that may be left for me.

Sorry about this! ****
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Thanks for taking your time to read this thread. I do appreciate you for that and for any comments you leave.

geothermal!

i would ensure i had geothermal water and heating/cooling

and if possible in my location, even power generation from geothermal!
ETA
oops. that wont stop radio waves

just build a cheap farraday cage system into your walls.
how will you stop the radiation from things like your tv entertainment system?
microwave?

how about some sort of faraday cage incorporated into the house. it'll probably be cheaper and healthier than living in lead house.

I love architecture

In terms of a protective material Sung has come up with an innovative protective measure for buildings. As it is new it might be expensive but it is a cool way to insulate a building.



I have also liked the idea of building a home into the ground with windows in the roof, obviously an underground structure would be well insulated and would probably help block out those frequencies you were talking about?

reply to post by okamitengu


Good suggestion of geothermal inclusion. That would be a great feature to include. As far as protecting in-home electronics, I am not sure at all... I suppose it would have to be done with more than a farday skeleton frame. Maybe it would need to be done under ground and with some other materials acting as further shielding..



reply to post by randomname


Indeed, I believe it would quite better, from a health stand-point, to avoid lead as much as possible - preferably 100% exclusion.

I like the idea of constructing a home using traditional architecture designs and incorporating new materials to create a home that is much more than it seems - sorta like steampunking it... but it seems that building partially, or completely, underground is bceoming the most realistic and economic way to assemble a home like this.

I think it's possible to use great architecture ques in a way that compomises with the need of sub-surface construction, just not sure where to start, with that in mind



reply to post by OwenGP185


I agree with you on the sub-surface dwelling. It offers many advantages to combat the expense a structure like this demands.

Maybe there is an affordable alternative material that has similar properties, but it much less expensive. Maybe not, I am sure there would be a few bullets to bite when building the house.

I guess the key is to bite as few bullets as possible.