The burgeoning technology industry is affecting design in ways that many of the designers never thought they would have to contend with. Dennis Brozak sees technology as having the potential to affect the design industry in much the same way as the automobile did. " Technology is so important because it is having an effect on all fronts, from the design of the homes themselves, to home use, to communication between builders, bankers and buyers. There's no end to where it's going to take us in this industry."

One of the most concrete ways technology is affecting home design is through the integration of the home office. Most of the designers mentioned the home office as a key amenity desired by homebuyers.

Technology is also having an effect on the materials used on the homes themselves. Many of the designers interviewed talked about the decreasing quality of lumber and the effect it is having on the materials used and the way homes are designed today. Builders and designers have to increasingly rely on the innovation of new materials that provide an alternative to wood.

"Builders in my area are choosing the I web floor joist material as the quality of lumber continues to decrease. This allows them more flexibility and greater spans," says Bill Martin.

Many other designers also conceded using I web floor joists, as well as synthetic siding material. Alan Mascord, who designs in an area one would typically associate with wood exteriors, has seen a trend away from natural cedar siding because of its short supply. "that's forcing a lot of people to go with alternative materials. We're seeing the use of a lot more synthetic siding material, such as vinyl and aluminum, synthetic stucco, cultured stone and Hardi board."

In many cases, such technology is not viewed as a negative or concession for the designers. Instead, it has opened up a wide range of opportunities for many of them. Cement siding, for example, has had an exciting effect on Robert Dame's design in Houston. "Because it's so humid here, people put 100 percent brick on their homes. And when that's on every home that you see, it's very difficult to be creative in design. One of the fun things about the Hardi board plank is that it's a product that doesn't rot, so I can now introduce a very friendly tone into some of the more upscale neighborhoods. It has given me great flexibility in design."

Many of these products also offer greater efficiency and ease of use than working with a natural wood product, according to David Loftus. But as he points out, the greatest challenge is for the manufacturers of these materials to improve their sometimes unappealing and awkward appearance. "

I think building materials in the future will continue to lean towards those that we now may perceive as cold - plastics, concrete and steel. I think the challenge is to bring some human scale to these products."

Home design is essentially an expression, an interpretation of the way we live. Most of us can safely say we are not the same people we were 10 years ago. Therefore, it is natural that our homes are not the same either. Home design has continued to evolve and change with us. It is our challenge then, as both builders and designers, to pay attention to trends, to test new design ideas and continually strive to create the best expression of home for today.