Innovative Architecture and Cutting-Edge Design in Barcelona
Interiores magazine
Thanks to Interiores magazine for featuring my work and recognizing it as 'new #talent.' My sources of inspiration are indeed Japanese and Mexican residential architecture for their understanding of spaces and light. In addition, I have a keen interest and experience in Smart Homes, incorporating technology for comfort and well-being in our #home.
If you want to learn more about different projects carried out for clients, I invite you to visit my website: www.drvarquitectos.com. For any inquiries, you can reach out to: info@drvarquitectos.com, and I will be happy to assist you.
September 15, 2021
Home automation, the revolution that designs our future - Article in El Economista
Turning our house into a smart home has many advantages. One of them is the ability to customize the spaces according to our tastes.
Another significant benefit is energy savings. In fact, it's the most well-known benefit of a "smart home," thanks to home automation. Furthermore, when you transition from a conventional home to a smart home, you are also advocating for social-level energy efficiency and contributing to the planet's sustainability, adding your own small contribution to a better future.
Are our homes ready for working remote?
The rise of telecommuting is a reality we are experiencing due to the pandemic. According to estimates from various experts, #telecommuting will account for nearly 50% of employment in Spain within a decade, although a high percentage will work in a mixed regime of in-person and remote work.
What contributions or ideas can #architecture and #homeautomation offer to create healthy and efficient homes that adapt to this situation?
In this audio clip from the discussion on the Catalan program "De boca a orella" (RNE, Ràdio 4 Catalunya), you will hear some suggestions that I propose:
I would like to thank the host Silvia Tarragona and the radio team for participating, along with Sonia Hernández-Montaño Bou, architect and coordinator of the Health Working Group at COAC (Architects' Association of Catalonia - Col.legi d’ #Arquitectes de Catalunya), Jorge Moraleda, head of collective bargaining at the CCOO union in Catalonia, and Jordi Sabater, technical secretary of the Spanish Home Automation Association (CEDOM).
Appearance on La Metro, TVE-2 Catalunya, 2-12-2020
The Catalan real estate market has recovered by 17% in recent months compared to the beginning of 2020, according to a study by the College of Property Agents.
Housing has undergone a complete transformation, not only in terms of buyer preferences - larger, with more natural light, and with a terrace or balcony - but also in changing the way we live due to lockdowns and the increase in telecommuting.
There are various options. Thanks to home automation, any space in the house can be digitized, saving on energy use and improving health conditions. We can monitor our house and control all functions of our home through motion, voice assistants, or our mobile phone. We are in the era of the "Smart Home."
I explain it a bit in this report from the Catalan program "La Metro" (2-12-2020) on TVE Catalonia, which is part of Spanish Television.
I believe that the benefits of incorporating home automation are manifold and becoming increasingly affordable.
I am at your disposal for any inquiries.
El Mueble – Article
Today, homes are undergoing a huge transformation in use and meaning, due to the social and health situation we are going through. The home has ceased to be just a place to sleep and store our belongings, and has become the center of our life.
Now, we not only live at home, but many of us also work there, socialize with our friends, and even exercise in our own space.
By moving almost all of our activities to our homes, energy and service consumption has increased significantly. This has directly impacted our wallets. It has led us to reflect on: What is our home really? How can we manage it better and how can we transform it to reflect our personality? Why does my home consume so much?
According to Daniel Ruiz Valderrama, founder of DRV Arquitectos and an expert in home automation, our home can offer greater energy savings, be more efficient, and help us make the management of this change a little easier. Here are some tips:
Europa Press Interview
Digitizing a home or considering integrating your home through technological strategies is not only a reality now, but surprisingly easy to do. The question that quickly arises in our minds is: How can I digitize my home?
The first step is to understand that nowadays, you can digitize, automatize, or program the daily activities of your home, such as cleaning, controlling lighting and temperature, managing appliances, audio and video, etc. Any activity you want to do in your home can now be done digitally through voice commands, gestures, and sensors.
From DRV Arquitectos, we would say that the most important thing when deciding to digitize your home is to consider the following:
1: What do we want to digitize?
Do I want to control lighting, integrated music throughout the house, appliances, etc.? You can digitize the entire house, however, sometimes it is recommended to make the change gradually by parts or spaces to allow us to gradually get used to our home reacting with us.
2: How do we want to control our home?
We can control our home through voice commands, gestures, with motion sensors, or through automations. We don't have to choose just one of these strategies; they are compatible with each other and can be combined depending on the use we give to each space.
Once you have defined how you prefer to control your home, then you can propose a very personalized solution for whoever inhabits that residence.
3: What uses will I give to each space in the house?
The interesting thing about this proposal is that through technological strategies, you can generate different atmospheres in the same space, allowing the inhabitant to change the use, change the mood, and generate quick and easy transformations in the spaces to adapt to our needs.
By defining what I want to digitize, how I want to digitize it, and what uses I want to give to each space, then the necessary devices would be chosen to make this a reality, always considering the budget limitations that the interested party may have.
Everything is possible with home automation
Home automation had its beginnings in Spain around the year 1990, when the first initiatives and research were carried out mainly by the Institut Cerdà. Initially, public interest in technology implementation was very low because progress was slow and research was minimal.
According to Dealer World Magazine (Digital Edition), the Smart Home market is growing at a rate of 22.3% worldwide, and it is expected that 20% of Spanish households will have at least one connected device by 2024.
To put it in numbers, the global market for connected home devices was valued at over 50 billion euros in 2018. Forecasts place the figure at over 80 billion for 2020, with an annual growth of 22.3% to reach 140 billion in 2024.
Home automation in Spain
Spain presents itself as one of the most important markets for connected home devices. "We have seen the growing and rapid implementation of the smart home throughout Europe, but especially in Spain. Even though we entered the Spanish market in the second half of 2019, this country has accounted for 10% of total sales for Nuki," explains Martin Pansy, CEO of Nuki, a smart lock manufacturer.
It is expected that by 2024, the growth of the Spanish market will impact 300% compared to the figures of 2018, creating a market of over 1 billion within three years. Sales of smart devices designed to protect access, secure doors and windows, and monitor the environment will grow by 67% to reach 241 million in 2024. Currently, half a million homes have a smart security solution, while in 2024, this figure will triple to 1.5 million.
On the other hand, there are various non-profit associations, public entities, and business groups whose main objective is the implementation and innovation of Spanish companies in the field of home automation.
Although currently the number of smart houses in the country shows a noticeable difference compared to other countries, there is no doubt that in the next ten years, the digitization of spaces will be an added value in all constructions.
Appareance in radio program CINC CÈNTIMS DE TOT radio matdepera
I want to thank the participation in the Catalan program "Cinc cèntims de tot" (Five Cents for Everything) directed by Mercedes Collantes on Radio Matadepera. It has been an opportunity to explain the advantages of the smart home, maximizing spaces, energy efficiency, sustainability, and comfort. Due to the pandemic, renovations and improvements in homes are accelerating, which is also an opportunity for the digital transformation we are immersed in.
Here is the link to the radio program where you can listen to it and download it. The discussion also included professionals Mónica Peláez Cadena, founder of Alkaravan Design, and Nacho Bordanove, Contract Manager for Europe and North Africa at Floover, whom I know and have the pleasure of collaborating with.
39ymas – Benefits of a “Smart Home”
On November 13, 2020, we had the honor of being featured in '39ymas – The Online Magazine for Today's Woman'. In this article, we talk about the benefits of a Smart Home, define what home automation is, and relate it to something that is very much in vogue, telecommuting.
We are sharing the article, one of the most interesting ones we have been able to create.
Radio Ona sants – El presente se llama mujer
What is a smart home? How is it done, with what devices? How can we incorporate aromatherapy and chromotherapy into our home?
I invite you to listen and learn more about these topics in the podcast of the radio program ‘El presente se llama mujer’ (The Present is Called Woman) directed by Mª José Segura on Ona de Sants, along with our partner in environmental health, Mónica Peláez Cadena from Alkaravan Design.
It is important to start learning about the benefits of home automation, what can be done and what cannot, and above all, how you can improve your quality of life and enhance your well-being. In short, let our home be a reflection of our personality and let us live comfortably.