The Reconfigurable House is an environment constructed from thousands of low tech components that can be "reconfigured" by its occupants. Any sensor/actuator can be connected to any other sensor/actuator -- it is the occupants of the house who determine the systems that run inside it.
Constructed at ICC in Tokyo, Japan, and open to the public until March 2008, the project is a challenge to ubiquitous computing "smart homes", which are based on the idea that technology should be invisible to prevent DIY. Smart homes actually aren't very smart simply because they are pre-wired according to algorithms and decisions made by designers of the systems, rather than the people who occupy the houses.
In contrast to such homes, which are not able to adapt structurally over time, the many sensors and actuators of Reconfigurable House can be reconnected endlessly as people change their minds so that the House can take on completely new behaviours.
Reconfigurable House 2.0
Reconfigurable House 2.0, built by Adam Somlai-Fischer, Ai Hasegawa, Barbara Jasinowicz, Bengt Sjoelen, Gabor Papp, Tamas Szakal and Usman Haque, was open to the public at Z33, in Hasselt, Belgium on display from March 16 to May 25, 2008.
For full information, real-time sensor values (when the House is on display somewhere in the world) and video please see the Reconfigurable House @ propositions.org.uk.