Who we are
We began the journey to build the Blackwood House with a simple aim. We wanted to create a highly accessible, affordable, beautiful and connected home with the goal of helping people live as independently as possible.
We talked to our customers, worked through designs, and the Blackwood House concept emerged. With a central core of kitchen and bathroom, highly flexible circulation space, and a major focus on integrated technology and home automation, the House would take “barrier free” to the next level.
We used both bespoke and widely available innovative home automation products to enhance the space, making it even more accessible and feeling larger and more expansive. The use of light helps to create this feel with contemporary open plan living, dining and kitchen areas flooded with light from full height windows and patio or balcony doors. The external areas also reflect the need to be barrier free, and they enable residents to enjoy garden and common areas – particularly important for people who spend significant amounts of time at home.
Innovative construction methods were used in developing our first Blackwood House and we see real benefit in continuing to explore the potential to provide flexible, efficient and affordable solutions to modern housing needs.
The Blackwood House is controlled digitally by residents through our patented CleverCogs hub. We also stepped into the world of voice control, following the example of customers who have recognised that physical barriers can increasingly be overcome by partnering technology with the senses.
Of course technology moves on at an incredible pace and so the House, like this Design Guide, will continue to be iterative and reflect the latest innovations and, crucially, the experience and aspirations of our customers. Not everything will always work well but by trying, testing, and refining the package of technology, we will find what really helps people live their life to the full.
Our early experience shows that customers who had no previous digital knowledge have been highly motivated to test our new products, doing as much as possible for themselves, and engaging with our staff to help personalise their home. We will learn from them as we deliver our programme for the Blackwood House across Scotland.
Ultimately, we think colleagues in Health and Social Care will see the value – and value for money – which the Blackwood House investment delivers. In fact we have produced a home and a design framework that supports meeting national outcomes for their present and future customers.