The Fifth Wave House

From Gothpoodle

The basic construction of homes has changed only superficially in the past century. Large housing complexes and high-rise buildings are still shaped around a frame of steel girders and supports. Small buildings, such as stand-alone homes, still use brick or wood-frame construction. Brick, sheet rock and other materials are also used, although these too are sometimes produced using cheap biotech methods.

One addition to the architect’s repertoire is various biocements. For these, engineered bacteria secrete glue-like organic compounds, fusing sand or dirt found onsite into a tough, solid mass. The resulting materials can be shaped using cheap molds and applied to a variety of structural functions. Some buildings are made entirely out of “bioadobe,” although this is common only in poor nations.

Most of the century’s innovations in house design have to do with increased computerization. Smart climate- control systems help ensure that every room is comfortable year-round, and that hot or cool air is not distributed unevenly. Houses are built with a combination of fiber-optic cabling and wireless transceivers in place, ready to interface with the owners’ computerized appliances. Every room has at least one display-ready wall. Most homes come with a central computer which can run a household AI. Meanwhile, every home comes with a broadband web connection.

In densely populated areas (or regions where ecofriendly politics are popular) many houses are built to be have low impact on the environment. Biotechnology is applied to help recycle some household refuse on site, while water is recovered from the sewage system. This is particularly common for large residential buildings.