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Let us take a look at the Hi-Tech house of the Microsoft Boss, Bill Gates. The house is built into a hillside and most of the windows face west over Lake Washington to Seattle to take advantage of the Sunset and views of the Olympic Mountains.

Bill Gates describes his house as,

"My house is made of wood, glass, concrete and stone… my house is also made up of Silicon and software. As you come in you will be presented with an electronic pin you clip to your clothes. The pin will tell the house who and where you are and the house will use the information to try to meet and even anticipate your needs.

…You will go down to the ground floor by either an elevator or a staircase. At the bottom of the stairs, the theater will be on the right and to the left, on the south side you will see the big reception hall. From the reception a series of glass doors will open on a terrace leading to the lake. Recessed into the East wall will be 24 video monitors, each with a 40-inch picture tube to display large image for art, entertainment or business. When not in use, the monitors disappear behind the wooden panels.

If it' dark outside, the pin will cause a zone of light to move you through the house. Unoccupied rooms will be lit. As you ahead of you will gradually come to full brightness and the light behind you will fade. If you get a phone call, only the handset nearest to you will ring.

A handhold remote control will help you to control the immediate environment and the house's entertainment system. Various amenities will be available to you based on the electronic key you carry. You will be able to give house system very specific instructions using a console which will be equivalent of a keyboard and will be discreetly visible in each room.

Source : CHIP Magazine - April 1998