Viewing post categorized under: Inspiration



David Clare / July 21 / Inspiration, Property, Social Media

Top 5 smarthome technologies (compatible with IFTTT)

Whether you are developing property for rental, and want to give that polished feel, or you’ve recently moved into a property yourself and want the most modern finishes available to you, smarthome technologies are going to be way up there on your wishlist.

The smarthome is one of the best examples of the ‘Internet of Things’. So many appliances and utilities can be connected to your home’s WiFi network, and by extension your smartphone, tablet or other services that make use of the APIs in the tech, allowing you to control your home from wherever you may be.

The smarthome technologies we feature below are not just fascinating because of what they can do alone, but all of them can also connect to a service called IFTTT (if this, then that) which allows them to speak to one another. For example, you put a romantic playlist on Sonos, and your lights turn red. Oh the romance!

Take a look at our top 5 smarthome technologies, that are both awesome in their own right, but also talk to one another for all sorts of hacks!

1. Nest

Nest thermostat learns your schedule and the temperatures you like. In theory, you should never have to touch the thermostat again, and even knows when you’re away, or likely to be back. Through IFTTT, you can even use location to let it know you’re on the way home.

2. Alexa

Amazon’s Alexa is designed around your voice. It’s always on, allowing you to ask for information, music, news, weather, and more. With IFTTT you can even use it to control other smarthome technologies, such as turning the Nest thermostat down.

3. Hue

Philips Hue connected bulbs let you take full control of your lighting, turning to whatever colour you fancy, or blinking for alerts. Through IFTTT, you can even set the colour of your home to match your latest Instagram, or to flash when you’re tagged in a Facebook post.

4. Musaic

Musaic is a Smart Hi-Fi system, allowing you to enjoy your music in every room. Through the IFTTT integration, you can set your Hue lights to go into disco mode when your party playlist plays, or even sound an alarm if someone breaks in.

5. Danalock

Danalock lets you control the access to your properties. Through the IFTTT integration, you can set it so your front door unlocks when you arrive at the house, or to lock via text, or at a certain time of day that you set, so you can always be sure.

Have you used any of these smarthome technologies in your properties? Let us know on Twitter, @ElevationComms.

Best of Ted
David Clare / July 14 / Design, Inspiration

Best of TED: How food shapes our cities

Every day, for a city the size of London, enough food needs to be delivered, cooked and fed to millions of people. The sheer scale of this has meant that cities are in fact shaped by food.

In this TED Talk,  Carolyn Steel, a food urbanist, takes us on a journey of how our meals affect not just the cities we live in, but the rainforest too, which is cleared to make way for arable land.

From the names of streets, and major routes into cities, food impacted how cities were built in ancient times. And, of course, since cities like London have changed very little, how we may struggle today, now that demand has increased.

Watch the TED Talk to find out more:

David Clare / July 13 / Design, Inspiration

Best of TED: Building the Seed Cathedral

Thomas Heatherwick is a designer who was behind the revisioned Routemaster bus, in use in London today, which was designed to be 40% more energy efficient.

In this TED Talk, Heatherwick takes us through a few other projects he has worked on, including the beautiful Seed Cathedral, where light comes into the building through thousands of optics. So much so that you can even see clouds, from the inside, as they pass by.

Watch the TED Talk to find out more:

David Clare / July 13 / Design, Inspiration, Property

5 inspirational corporate offices

Ever thought your office looks a little too like the set of Office Space? Do you work as an interior designer and having a creative block? Well, look no further than our list of the 5 most inspirational corporate offices!

1. Google, Tel Aviv

Take a stroll through the woods, board a cable car in the sky, and get from A to B by slide. Google’s office in Israel explodes with creativity.

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2. AirBnB, San Francisco

In an office that truly represents the product the company offers, AirBnB’s San Fran office feels like you’re home.

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3. Bahnhof, Stockholm

The internet service provider’s office looks pretty darn secure. In fact, we’d say only James Bond could break into this villainous lair.

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4. Urban Outfitters, Pittsburgh

When the stores themselves look about as cool as Channing Tatum riding a unicorn, you can be sure the head office is going to make it on the list.

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5. Inventionland, Pittsburgh

Wait, no Google or Facebook? Sure, they have incredible offices, but this company you probably haven’t even heard of has a pirate ship. Case closed, ye scally wag!

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Think your brand needs a new identity and creative office? Get in touch and let’s talk design.

TED Talks Blog Post
David Clare / July 12 / Design, Inspiration

Best of TED: Building the best kindergarten you’ve ever seen

For any architect or planner who is bidding for a school, nursery or kindergarten project, you may want to take a look at this TED Talk first.

The incredible kindergarten is a feat of architecture, built especially for children. The build allows kids to be kids, built as an open space circle so children can roam free and be safe.

Watch the TED Talk to find out more, and keep an eye out for how they build around the trees and make them a feature on all levels of the building.

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