The Heliotrope, Freiburg, Germany

Forbes: Incredible High-Tech Homes

The Heliotrope is the world’s first home that generates more power than it uses, according to German architechtural firm Rolf Disch SolarArchitektur. The modern marvel was designed to use the sun’s energy by turning the more energy efficient side of the cylindrical home toward the sun in different seasons. A large multi-directional solar panel array on the roof tracks the sun’s movements in order to get the best charge possible. This system powers a unified climate and floor warmth system, and a rooftop collector traps and filters rainwater. There’s even a human waste disposal system that would impress an astronaut with its ingenuity, producing dry, odorless solids for composting and clarified liquid waste for a cascading pool in front of the home.

(Rolf Disch SolarArchitektur)

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European-Style P... An entertainer's paradise, this twenty-two room estate is the epitome of Southern California luxury. The well-appointed Mediterranean mansion boasts a number of different high-tech features, including a central control unit that operates the security system, lighting and the home’s numerous fireplaces. A separate system runs the 941-sq. ft. home theater, a 134” drop-down projection screen, and the electronic window drapes. The home is listed with Sotheby’s International Realty for $6.2 million.

(Sotheby's International Realty)

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European-Style P...

(Sotheby's International Realty)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
The Heliotrope, ... The Heliotrope is the world’s first home that generates more power than it uses, according to German architechtural firm Rolf Disch SolarArchitektur. The modern marvel was designed to use the sun’s energy by turning the more energy efficient side of the cylindrical home toward the sun in different seasons. A large multi-directional solar panel array on the roof tracks the sun’s movements in order to get the best charge possible. This system powers a unified climate and floor warmth system, and a rooftop collector traps and filters rainwater. There’s even a human waste disposal system that would impress an astronaut with its ingenuity, producing dry, odorless solids for composting and clarified liquid waste for a cascading pool in front of the home.

(Rolf Disch SolarArchitektur)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
The Heliotrope, ...

(Rolf Disch SolarArchitektur)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Friary On The Se... Located on an historic Colonial-era estate on the banks of the Severn in Annapolis, this home served as a Capuchin monastery before falling into disrepair. The current residents “fell in love” with the decaying, old monastery, according to Bradley Nelson, a spokesperson for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, and decided to restore the building, but with a decidedly modern bent. A central “control room” manages the temperatures and lighting levels in different rooms, the humidity level in the spa, the water temperatures of both indoor and outdoor pools, an elaborate entertainment system, and a network of cameras to monitor the extensive property. With ten bedrooms, ten full baths, 23 acres of land, and views of the Severn River, this $32 million estate has both history and quite a few high-tech “secrets.”

(Sotheby's International Realty)

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Friary On The Se...

(Sotheby's International Realty)

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Shape-Shifting A... One small home in Matosinhos, Portugal, measures just 474 sq. ft., but designers at the Portuguese architectural firm Consexto have solved the problem of space not by creative use of furniture, but with a revolutionary approach to the ways in which walls delineate a home’s layout. Entertaining friends? Expand one of the home’s two rooms with movable walls for dinner parties or late-night movie marathons. Getting tired of the layout? Just hit a switch and the home transforms before your eyes.

(Consexto/Amandio Neto)

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Shape-Shifting A...

(Consexto/Amandio Neto)

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Hamptons Cottage... Many houses retain their quaint, rural charm, despite their multi-million dollar price tags. This Hamptons home, on the market for $6.2 million, looks like a relatively modest brick-exterior ranch house from the outside, but it’s the dwelling’s highly-wired innards that belie its exterior. A central control panel operates the house’s solar shades, auto key entry, and there’s even a spacious wide-screen digital home theater with reclining electric leather seating for eight. Sure, it may look like a simple country house, but beneath that charming exterior lurks one impressively tricked-out summer home.

(Corcoran)

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Hamptons Cottage...

(Corcoran)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
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