New House of the Future Coming to Disneyland
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.14.08
Motorola House of the Future, 1962, via Plan59
I have always loved houses of the future, even though the future never seems to come. I think that perhaps the Monsanto House of the Future (watch the incredible film of it here) inspired me to become an architect. So I was really excited to hear that Disney is going to build a new one. Until I read more.
Frigidaire Kitchen of the Future, 1957, via Plan59. I love the hover-meat.
It is a $15 million collaboration of The Walt Disney Co., Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, software maker LifeWare and home builder Taylor Morrison.
"The 5,000-square-foot home scheduled to open in May will look like a normal suburban home outside, but inside it will feature hardware, software and touch-screen systems that could simplify everyday living.
Lights and thermostats will automatically adjust when people walk into a room. Closets will help pick out the right dress for a party. Countertops will be able to identify groceries set on them and make menu suggestions."
The new home will be made of wood and steel and finished in muted browns and beiges, said Sheryl Palmer, president and chief executive of Taylor Morrison in North America.
"The 1950s home didn't look like anything, anywhere. It was space-age and kind of cold," she said. "We didn't want the (new) home to intimidate the visitors. We want the house to be real accessible to our guests."
I'm sorry, the 50s home was innovative and inspiring, small and efficient, full of the best architectural ideas that the MIT department of architecture could throw at it, using the most original (if now seen to be misguided) construction technologies of the day.
And Disney is building a 5,000 square foot McMansion in beige so not to "intimidate the visitors." Why not challenge and inspire them instead? What a waste of a fifteen million dollar opportunity. ::USA TODAY
Passive solar orientation?Zero energy and carbon neutral?How many people will live there because 5000 sq feet is too big and a wasteful use of natural resources.It sounds like it will be equiped with a bunch of useless widgets that are not really needed.15 million?This is really stupid,and the worst part is that a bunch of kids will be looking at it and for an example.
This is a house of a future we simply cannot afford economically, socially, or environmentally.
Is anyone really surprised that Disney is involved in this undertaking? After all, from my perspective, Disney is the perfect example of something our society can do without. Sure, they make cute movies for our kids to enjoy, but their real focus is getting parents to pay for the crappy toys, music, and clothes that are marketed to our kids across ever medium.
Being the parent of a 6 and an 8 year old, I have had plenty of exposure to Disney's evil empire. We even visited the Magic Kingdom last year. Never again. It was nearly impossible to find a recycling bin, so I was forced to carry our recyclables for quite a while until I did locate one of the few bins. Don't even get me started about the fact that every ride ends in a gift shop.
Until people wake up and realize that the American Dream doesn't include living in a mansion and having every possible material good within arms reach, our society will continue down the wrong path. Hopefully, with the help of others who share my viewpoint, we can continue to help other see the light. Keep up the good work, Treehuggers!
Disney = Fantasy... marketing hype for those involved. According to them we should all be living in the future home and driving flying cars....Zero emissions of course ;)
And the 1950s house 'touched the ground lightly' with a small footprint. What rubbish this new dismal disney house will be. We ought to make up some stickers to be casually placed around the house by visitors!
The House of the Future was one of my favorite attractions at Disneyland when I was little and I've always missed it, so I was very excited when I first learned they were "bringing it back" -- only to be sorely disappointed that instead of being truly innovative and inspiring (I still remember the handset-free telephone and the adjustable height sink) this will be a "new" house of the future...which is really only a house of today, sponsored by Microsoft and Hewlitt Packard and filled with contemporary computer gadgets.
What a waste of money and resources, not to mention an opportunity for Disney to create something both exciting and educational.
Well, If the changes wrought in his Kingdom over the last couple of decades hadn't already sent Uncle Walt spinning in his grave, he surely must be now.
WHAT! are you kidding! your gonna sink that low! i personally LOVE disneyland and out of all the vacations i've been on.. i remember my disney ones the most. and im only fourteen! my little brother is 4 and LOVES disney.. and all of its creations.. and you know what, all they want to do is make kids, teens and parents leave all of their stress and just have fun! and even if the rides are "boring" for you adults.. just look at all of the little kids around you.. that have that certain sparkle in their eye when they see tinkerbell fly across the sky and light those fireworks for the very first time.. i personally cry when i see it.. and once again i am only fourteen!!!!!! cause i care about the people around me and those little kids! and from what i see.. that sparkle.. is the one thing that makes life worth it! and if none of what i just said at least touched your heart the slightest bit.. then i dont even know why you would ever have kids. Cause you obviously dont care about them and their happiness as much as this fourteen year old girl that doesnt even know who they are... oh.. and you mr. and mrs. TREEHUGGER. if you really care about the planet that much then why would you want to use the tree's to make those stupid stickers of yours and then vandilize property.. then dang.. your some treehugger. NOT!
WOW
O_O
Well, of course Disney is all about marketing now. A 14 yr old isn't jaded yet to realize it. Wish I wasn't so jaded myself. Ignorance is truly bliss.
TreeHugger thought . . . what is the Disney corp.'s footprint now?
I never saw the original "House of the Future", but I've seen footage of it on tv. I think it was truly amazing because it was filled with things that we at the time could only dream about. You get the same feeling watching episodes of "Star Trek." The concept of a house of the future is that we do not currently have the technology to realize it. It was basically a house of predictions. Some came true . . . many didn't.
This new house doesn't seem to be of the same genre. It seems to just be a showcase of technology that has already been realized. The "amazing" part is that it is technology not readily available to the average middle class family, so it seems "futuristic." In reality, Trump and Gates probably already have all these gadgets installed in their 5,000+ sq. ft. homes.
Instead of fantasizing about advancements in science and technology, we are once again led to simply fantasize about being rich. And the children (including 14 yr olds) are always the first to fall prey to that particular mind game.
BTW, do you really think ol' Walt is rolling over in his grave? Got to remember, he wasn't exactly a great guy. He was a racist, chauvinistic, anti-Semite. What makes you think a guy like that wouldn't exploit children's dreams?