Abstract:
This paper addresses the integration of Information, Communication and Automation Technologies
(ICAT) in the dwelling space so as to meet the needs of users. ICAT systems can have a very
important role in contemporary dwellings because of the benefits they bring to residents both from the
ecological and social perspectives. The paper describes an ongoing PhD research that is concerned
with the rehabilitation of the existing housing stock to fulfill the new needs of dwellers in the current
Information Society and with the consequences of the integration of ICAT in dwellings. The research
aims at the development of a rehabilitation methodology devised to enable architects to take user
needs and requirements in home automation matters into account from the beginning of the
architectural design process. Ultimately, the proposed methodology will enable a compatible and
properly integration of ICAT in architectural spaces and in their built envelope. The incorporation of
new housing functions calls for a new approach to the design of domestic space, in which the diversity
of conventional spaces must interact with the inclusion of new multifunctional areas that accommodate
activities such as telework and telehealth in order to respond to the growing demand of information
access and of comfort at home. After a brief description of the general methodology, this paper focuses
on the ecological and social benefits that ICAT brings to the environment, the construction industry,
and the dwellers. Then it describes the impact of ICAT integration on the functional organization of
the dwelling and on construction elements and it lays down the strategies for an adequate integration
from these two viewpoints.
