Drexel Smart House is a student-led, multidisciplinary project to construct an urban home to serve as a “living laboratory” for exploring cutting edge design and technology. Participants will conduct research and develop designs in the areas of environment, energy, interaction, health, and lifestyle with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life in the urban residential setting.

The Drexel Smart House will transform a late 19th century Powelton Village residence into a cutting edge and sustainable platform for design and technology. With a design focus on energy, environment, interaction, health, and lifestyle, the house includes quarters for eight students, a residential assistant, and a guest. The new rear addition will house a classroom for university use and community outreach, flexible space above, and a third floor indoor/outdoor room complete with accessible green roof.

On the exterior, the facade will undergo masonry restoration and a new porch, roof, and front steps will be installed to further restore the building’s historic presence. Site work and building accessibility will be addressed at the west side. There, the new rear wing adds a rain screen breathable wall system into the existing palette of stone, brick, and wood materials. The north side boasts an homage to passive ventilation in a new three-story solar chimney and operable glazing systems.

Drexel Smart House strives to contribute to Powelton Village’s sustainability and longevity by increasing environmental awareness and action. Smart House will showcase the idea that rehabilitation and adaptive reuse have great potential in the area. Enabling residents and researchers to collaborate in a multi-disciplinary manner will continue to encourage innovation in engineering, architecture, design and business.

What is a “Smart House”?

The Drexel Smart House is a unique multidisciplinary project working toward the goal of creating a building that functions like a home and serves as a laboratory to continually conduct research on innovations to the home experience. Home design and technology has not seen many advances since the refrigerator and air conditioning. The Drexel Smart House plans to change that. By implementing the creative ideas of young minds, under the guidance of experienced teachers, the Drexel Smart House will provide an exemplary model and testing environment of an improved approach to home life while specifically improving the lives of the individuals inhabiting the house.