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| Xanadu was an architectural house project which turned into three |
'''Xanadu''' was an architectural house project started in the late 1970's which turned into three differently designed homes, in Kissimmee, ], Wisconsin Dells, ] and Gatlinburg, ]. All three Xanadu homes were built with foam rather than concrete to make the home both easier to build and more cost effective. Xanadu was built as a visitor attraction to showcase how we can use computers in the home to carry out automated tasks. In the early 1990's two of the Xanadu homes were closed down and demolished, leaving only the Kissimmee Xanadu left which was then later closed down in ]. | ||
| ] | ] | ||
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| == Exterior and Interior== | == Exterior and Interior== | ||
| The exterior (outside) of Xanadu looked |
The exterior (outside) of Xanadu looked similar to a ] out of outer space, featuring white painted walls, a ] pole, an outside public toilet, and a lake. Xanadu had at least two entrances, very large windows, and porthole type windows in the roof. Xanadu consisted of domed pods built by spraying ] foam onto removable molds. The polyurethane hardens in a couple of days, then paint can be applied and space cut out of the foam for windows and doors to be mounted in. | ||
| Xanadu consists of domed pods built by spraying ] foam onto removable molds. The polyurethane hardens in a couple of days, then paint can be applied and space cut out of the foam for windows and doors to be mounted in. | |||
| The interior (inside) of Xanadu is best described as a cave, featuring curved walls, rounded port hole windows in the ceiling, cramped rooms and low level ceilings. The interior used a cream color for the walls, and a pale green for the floor. At the center of the house was the living room, supporting the roof was a fake tree which may have looked interesting at first but is very strange. | The interior (inside) of Xanadu is best described as a cave, featuring curved walls, rounded port hole windows in the ceiling, cramped rooms and low level ceilings. The interior used a cream color for the walls, and a pale green for the floor. At the center of the house was the living room, supporting the roof was a fake tree which may have looked interesting at first but is very strange. | ||
| == Xanadu Tour == | == Xanadu Tour == | ||
| ]No one ever lived in Xanadu, It was built as a ]. Many visitors went there to peek at the computerized home of the future. Following an electronic tour guide, the visitors see the constantly changing computer-graphics art show on video screens in the family room. They learn in the master bedroom about the ] and fire systems |
]No one ever lived in Xanadu, It was built as a ]. Many visitors went there to peek at the computerized home of the future. Following an electronic tour guide, the visitors see the constantly changing computer-graphics art show on video screens in the family room. They learn in the master bedroom about the ] and fire systems, they can then visit the master bath where a bather can enjoy a sun-heated steam bath or choose from a variety of computer-produced weather conditions. | ||
| Although Xanadu was built as a visitor attraction, many features of the house were functional such as the Jacuzzi, Fountain and Television. Due to the limited amount of affordable and powerful computers in the 1980's, Xanadu struggled in certain areas rendering many parts of the house useless and in-functional. | |||
| == Using Computers in the Home == | == Using Computers in the Home == | ||
| Xanadu was controlled by ] , in this case ]. Each feature of the house, and each room was controlled by computers. Including the kitchen, party room, the health spa, and many other parts of the house. Xanadu was ], meaning the computers did a lot of work for you, the use of computers in the home in this particular way was efficient and handy as a concept because your time schedule could become more free. An example of this in use is using the computer to heat the bath at a specific time and date so that it will be ready when you get home from work. The concept of using computers in the home to do housework and make sure the house is secure is not a new idea, |
Xanadu was controlled by ] , in this case ]. Each feature of the house, and each room was controlled by computers. Including the kitchen, party room, the health spa, and many other parts of the house. Xanadu was ], meaning the computers did a lot of work for you, the use of computers in the home in this particular way was efficient and handy as a concept because your time schedule could become more free. An example of this in use is using the computer to heat the bath at a specific time and date so that it will be ready when you get home from work. The concept of using computers in the home to do housework and make sure the house is secure is not a new idea, these concepts date back to the 1950's and earlier, Xanadu brought these concepts to life because the technology was finally available. | ||
| === Kitchen === | === Kitchen === | ||
| ] Some of that food is grown by the house itself. Xanadu has a built-in greenhouse. Naturally, a microcomputer monitors the watering of plants, artificial sunlight, ventilation, humidity, soil content, and the shutters and awnings. The groceries you can't grow can be bought by tele-shopping at the household |
] Some of that food is grown by the house itself. Xanadu has a built-in greenhouse. Naturally, a microcomputer monitors the watering of plants, artificial sunlight, ventilation, humidity, soil content, and the shutters and awnings. The groceries you can't grow can be bought by tele-shopping at the household workstation, these may be groceries that won't grow in your area's climate, the catalog used to order food from home is on a ] system hooked up to a microcomputer and the transaction is handled with the help of tele-banking. The ] computer also maintains a household calendar, records, and home bookkeeping. Both ordering food from home and maintaining a household calendars, records and home bookkeeping can today be done because of the Internet and Secure Online Credit Card Payments. | ||
| === Work at Home === | === Work at Home === | ||
Revision as of 15:47, 25 March 2005
Xanadu was an architectural house project started in the late 1970's which turned into three differently designed homes, in Kissimmee, Florida, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. All three Xanadu homes were built with foam rather than concrete to make the home both easier to build and more cost effective. Xanadu was built as a visitor attraction to showcase how we can use computers in the home to carry out automated tasks. In the early 1990's two of the Xanadu homes were closed down and demolished, leaving only the Kissimmee Xanadu left which was then later closed down in 1996.
History
Xanadu ("ZAN-uh-du") was an architectural house project originating from the 1970's. Roy Mason, an architect, planned the Xanadu home by creating a clay concept. His vision of the future home of the 1990's was to use plastic foam for the building's main structure.
Architect Mason believed Xanadu would alter the way people think of houses - as little more than inanimate, passive shelters against the elements. "No one's really looked at the house as a total organic system," says Mason, who is also the architecture editor of The Futurist magazine. "The house can have intelligence and each room can have intelligence."
There were originally three Xanadu homes built, one in Kissimmee, Florida, one in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and the third in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The estimated cost of construction for one home was $300,000. Roy Mason did however plan for an even lower cost home at only $80,000 to show that homes using computers do not have to be expensive.
Exterior and Interior
The exterior (outside) of Xanadu looked similar to a UFO out of outer space, featuring white painted walls, a communications pole, an outside public toilet, and a lake. Xanadu had at least two entrances, very large windows, and porthole type windows in the roof. Xanadu consisted of domed pods built by spraying polyurethane foam onto removable molds. The polyurethane hardens in a couple of days, then paint can be applied and space cut out of the foam for windows and doors to be mounted in.
The interior (inside) of Xanadu is best described as a cave, featuring curved walls, rounded port hole windows in the ceiling, cramped rooms and low level ceilings. The interior used a cream color for the walls, and a pale green for the floor. At the center of the house was the living room, supporting the roof was a fake tree which may have looked interesting at first but is very strange.
Xanadu Tour
No one ever lived in Xanadu, It was built as a visitor attraction. Many visitors went there to peek at the computerized home of the future. Following an electronic tour guide, the visitors see the constantly changing computer-graphics art show on video screens in the family room. They learn in the master bedroom about the security and fire systems, they can then visit the master bath where a bather can enjoy a sun-heated steam bath or choose from a variety of computer-produced weather conditions.
Although Xanadu was built as a visitor attraction, many features of the house were functional such as the Jacuzzi, Fountain and Television. Due to the limited amount of affordable and powerful computers in the 1980's, Xanadu struggled in certain areas rendering many parts of the house useless and in-functional.
Using Computers in the Home
Xanadu was controlled by microcomputers , in this case Commodores. Each feature of the house, and each room was controlled by computers. Including the kitchen, party room, the health spa, and many other parts of the house. Xanadu was automated, meaning the computers did a lot of work for you, the use of computers in the home in this particular way was efficient and handy as a concept because your time schedule could become more free. An example of this in use is using the computer to heat the bath at a specific time and date so that it will be ready when you get home from work. The concept of using computers in the home to do housework and make sure the house is secure is not a new idea, these concepts date back to the 1950's and earlier, Xanadu brought these concepts to life because the technology was finally available.
Kitchen
Some of that food is grown by the house itself. Xanadu has a built-in greenhouse. Naturally, a microcomputer monitors the watering of plants, artificial sunlight, ventilation, humidity, soil content, and the shutters and awnings. The groceries you can't grow can be bought by tele-shopping at the household workstation, these may be groceries that won't grow in your area's climate, the catalog used to order food from home is on a videodisc system hooked up to a microcomputer and the transaction is handled with the help of tele-banking. The workstation computer also maintains a household calendar, records, and home bookkeeping. Both ordering food from home and maintaining a household calendars, records and home bookkeeping can today be done because of the Internet and Secure Online Credit Card Payments.
Work at Home
Xanadu suggested a way to do business at home, with an office room and the use of computers to use electronic mail, access to stock and commodities trading and news services. This concept has been adapted to today's homes because of the Internet, and Personal Computers, the majority of people working will work from home running a home business or either working for a company through email and websites. Having access to news services from home has become even more easier with RSS newsfeeds. In the recent years, working at home has advanced to a new level that the creators of Xanadu did not even dream of having: Video & Audio conferencing over the internet.
Living Room
The living room was probably the largest room in the entire Xanadu home, sporting a fountain, small television set, as well as a video projector. The form of entertainment where family members sit around a television set is passive with little or no interaction between the family members and the Television or with each other. A home computer, on the other hand, allows interactive entertainment. Nearby the living room was the dining room, featuring a glass table with a curved seat fitting around half of the table, behind the seats was a large window covering the entire wall.
Security
One of the many advantages of using computers in the home includes security. A computer can control the locking system of doors and windows in the home, require a user to enter a password to enter their home, or either use their thumbnail print as a key of identification that you own the home and have the privilege to enter. Xanadu was able to speak with a HAL voice, generated by computer, the voice would speak when someone enters the home to make them think someone is in the home, this idea is seen as rather silly because computers can be used to do much more than speak to increase security levels in the home.
Disadvantages
One of the concerns of Xanadu was the cost of electrical bills since running several computers 24/7 all year is bound to cost a lot of money, But Mason figured that a central computer could control the energy consumption of all the other computers in the house. Many dislike Xanadu as a practical home because of it's low ceilings and curved walls preventing picture hanging and also because of the cramped rooms.
Many believe using computers in the home is a disadvantage, because if the hardware fails, it restricts you from getting food, having a bath, getting out of the house if doors are closed, etc. Many also dislike the concept of computers in the home because it may make you less social and take automated tasks for granted, resulting in you thinking you never have to do housework again. Some also see no use of computers in the use, but many argue that it is good for security and to get housework jobs such as cleaning done quickly.
The Book
A book about Xanadu and computerized homes was written by Roy Mason with Lane Jennings and Robert Evans and was published by Acropolis Books on November 1st, 1983. The book was a hardcover, with 260 pages of material explaining how computers can be used in the home, suggesting many concepts of which some today are in use and some too outdated to be considered any longer. The book was titled "Xanadu: The Computerized Home of Tomorrow and How It Can Be Yours Today!" and is still available from Amazon in used condition. The book also includes an interview with Bob Masters, the creator of Xanadu.
The End of Xanadu
Towards the early 90's, It was clear that the Xanadu homes were failing to become successful and ever-lasting visitor attractions. The technology used in Xanadu was quickly becoming obsolete, still using DOS based machines rather than a GUI based system which is more user-friendly to the user. The Xanadu in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin was also struggling and saw the addition of jokey robots and pricey souvenirs in the gift shop. In the early 90's the Xanadus in Wisconsin and Gatlinburg were demolished; the Xanadu in Kissimmee lived on until 1996 and was then put on sale in 1997 when it went on sale and in 2001 was on sale again.
Xanadu Today
Today, the last Xanadu left is abandoned, and is being used for storage by it's owners. The remaining Xanadu has not survived the weather well, and because of this has suffered greatly of mold and mildew throughout the interior. It's basement is entirely flooded of brown water (estimated a foot deep), in the basement were certain utilities which controlled the electric and microcomputers.
Xanadu is owned by a vacation ownership property, Star Island Development Corporation, 5000 Avenue of the Stars, Kissimmee, FL 34746. It was purchased to be the sales office for this timeshare resort. It is presently empty, but is still patrolled by Star Island security. If Xanadu was to be rebuilt with today's design and technology, It would most likely be more sufficient in many areas - Mainly including the use of computers. Xanadu used many microcomputers, today the power Xanadu used could be done by one single personal computer at a very low cost.
Links
- 1982 Compute Magazine Article about Xanadu
- Random Thoughts on Xanadu
- Xanadu : Home of the future
- Kissimmee's Xanadu articles
- Photos and more Information
- Xanadu Photo Gallery from 1998
- Kissimmee's Xanadu as of 2004