Interactive, connected, inclusive: these are the characteristics of the house of the future, which, according to the group of professionals who drafted the report on human-machine interaction presented at CES in Las Vegas last January, will change its face and role in everyday life. The study, carried out by the E-Lab team, the idea incubator of the Everel Group dedicated to technological innovation and the study of integrated solutions in the sectors of appliance and automotive components, was carried out in collaboration with Strategy Innovation, a spin-off of Ca’ Foscari Venezia that supports companies in innovation processes and future-oriented market research. “Being in everyone’s homes is the mission of the Everel Group, and studying the direction that the habits of those who live in their homes every day are taking is essential to understand which levers to move in the next projects”, says Enrico Zobele, President of the Group. “The team of innovators at E-Lab is engaged in very complex special projects that concern, among other things, the search for alternatives to plastic, the study of new features aimed at improving the interaction between man and machine, and the development of multisensory experiences, with an investigation of our 5 senses and new points of contact between man and machine”. The report is structured according to the Archipelago framework, a tool with which it is possible to visualize the analysis process of a starting topic, to be articulated into 6 related themes and then, each of these, into another 6 sub-themes and case studies. The realization of the report took place through a process of scenarization, composed of the framing step, for the definition of the field and structure of the research, scanning, which allows, based on research, to identify the focus areas where to activate moments of in-depth analysis through interviews with experts, futuring, to identify which areas of the archipelago to consider or not, and visioning, where the insights that emerge are explored through strategic group conversations. The research therefore made it possible to divide the areas of analysis into six major themes that include modes of access, daily life, and use of spaces. The six macro-areas, which are subsequently divided into six themes each, are home, mobility, family, biophilic design, sensoriality, and all those experiences that we can define as not home. Giovanni Carrer, Project Leader of Strategy Innovation, who drafted the report with the E-Lab team, analyzes the focus of the work done. “Our archipelago method – he says – allows us to thoroughly analyze various human activities in daily movements and focus on individual habits. Accelerating trends already present in some contexts, the pandemic has made evident the social change of living: the new hybrid home has centralized an increasing number of functions and has become a workplace, recreational center, gym, and more. The way of living in the house, in short, has changed profoundly: more present, contemplative. Today, studying the relationships between man and the environment that surrounds him means investigating a series of themes that will influence market development, in order to be able to design new future scenarios and, consequently, new concepts that will enrich the Everel Group’s proposal”. The report, which aims to become a strategic tool for companies, stakeholders, and scholars of economic processes, runs for almost a hundred pages, covering the different attitudes of each sector, with a thematic overview of trends, tools, and materials. Starting from the home and the new functions acquired in the post-pandemic era, such as the provision of more livable spaces dedicated to work, well-being and sports, the analysis shifts towards the sensoriality of environments and the different post-Covid perception. In fact, the world of touch, also due to the fear of contagion, went into a strong crisis after 2020, leaving room for more innovative technologies. Podcasts and new streaming platforms like Twitch, tools that Gen Z seems to prefer over more traditional programs, also fall into the realm of sensoriality. The report then moves on to address the so-called OOH (Out of Home), which refers to how the entire universe of relationships and spaces outside the domestic environment is perceived and experienced today. For example, schools, universities, and work, where mixed reality has taken the place of physical reality and AI is becoming a true virtual assistant in everyday life. The report states that the Alpha generation, born after 2010, is the first generation that does not distinguish between the physical and virtual worlds: more aware of sustainable choices, more attentive to inclusion and multiculturalism, and with the internet being their main source of information and relationships.
The last two chapters address the topic of biophilic design, which refers to sustainable architectural choices that are suited to the new model of society, furnishings, and materials, and that of mobility, which has become the innovative centerpiece of recent years. While wheeled transportation continues to dominate, there is an increasing focus on energy savings and respect for the environment that surrounds us. “Being part of the change and not just experiencing it is the choice that our company has decided to make today”, says Andrea Caserta, CEO of Everel Group. “Studying the reality we find ourselves in, imagining the future, and rethinking the production context is essential to position ourselves as protagonists in a society where the fundamental principles are changing and being consolidated in a different and more conscious way. Today, consumers choose more carefully with regard to sustainability and innovation, and mere proclamations are not enough. Certain changes of direction must be concrete and everyone’s heritage. Hence E-Lab, which is working in this direction, and Everel’s Green Team, which puts sustainability at the center of its activity”. “This research once again demonstrates how the path our group has taken is correct”, concludes Thomaz Zobele, CSR Manager of Everel Group. “The ethical and sustainable policies of companies towards society are part of a virtuous path that is required and necessary. And our current activity will be a guide for the world of tomorrow”.
