BBC Click Online, House of Orange / May 16th 2002

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Since we were last in the Orange House, over a year ago, entire families have made this technological wonderland their home. So how have they got on? Chris Long went to remind himself of the technology that they’ve enjoyed – or should that be endured?

 Set in the undulating green fields of a business park just north of London the orange house is stuffed to the gills with futuristic technology. Every device is every room is connected to a central hub that controls everything - it will even fill your bath for you.

For the guinea pig families who have allowed themselves to be observed living in this wirefree experiment it all revolves around a web tablet - a portable A4 sized computer that connects - wirelessly of course - to all the services the house of the future offers - from music videos to the latest music

 With three bedrooms, a nursery, a study, and a room full of computers, the house is easily big enough for a family with children and as well as having all mod cons it has some pretty luxurious ones too.

The experiment has been running for two years with the orange technicians monitoring exactly how their guests use the house and its technology. This is one of the first studies to put ordinarily people like you and me in a wireless environment and its results are likely to deliver some surprises.

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To find out more we spoke to Jon Carter, Project Manager of the Orange house.

Orange builds hi-tech home

By Paul Rowlingson [15-06-2001]

Get lost in the Hatfield suburbs and you could stumble across Orange's vision of the future - Orange at Home, with more gadgets and gizmos than an episode of the Jetsons.

Get lost in the Hatfield suburbs and you could stumble across Orange's vision of the future - Orange at Home, with more gadgets and gizmos than an episode of the Jetsons.

Designed as a showcase for emerging and future technology, the Orange Home is a converted detached house with everything from high-speed wireless Lans to voice-activated lighting controls, all set to carry out those tiresome everyday tasks like running a bath.

As a research centre, it has had two sets of technology-savvy families (kids included) living-in, over a five- to six-week period, but as yet no comments from the residents have been released.

According to an Orange spokesperson, "The research element of Orange at Home is serious and confidential, and families are not available for comment on the research."

So far costing £2m to develop, the Orange Home looks set to be an expensive experiment in finding out which gadgets are useful and which aren't. For instance, light switches will be reintroduced, as a mobile-controlled version has proved a flop.

It is unlikely whether any house in the future will be quite like this, with owners talking to their house, and ordering their weekly shopping with one voice command.

However, the technology is definitely seeping into the everyday world.