http://www.swiftwatercustomhomes.com/blog/rss/feedsSwiftwater Custom Homes is dedicated to understanding our client’s needs and turning their vision to reality. We are committed to guiding and inspiring our clients from initial design through completion with regular communication, professionalism and personalized management. From the first sketches on napkins to well after occupancyWed, 08 Apr 2026 13:04:11 -0700http://www.swiftwatercustomhomes.com/blog/post/vr-series-what-can-builders-learn-from-pokemonhttp://www.swiftwatercustomhomes.com/blog/post/vr-series-what-can-builders-learn-from-pokemon Builders can find a surprise source of inspiration in Pokemon. Inspiration can come from the strangest of places for the TecHome Builder. Sometimes, the spark can even be ignited by an electrically-charged cartoon rodent named Pikachu. The smart phone gaming app, “Pokemon Go,” has dominated the news cycle in recent weeks—a headline-maker second only to the current election. The app, a reimagining of handheld gaming from the nineties, is made all the more interesting through its use of augmented reality (AR) technology. The industry has seen a handful of endeavors in the AR space, yet Henry Clifford, president of Livewire, calls “Pokemon Go” one of the neater applications he has seen enter the market. henry“It gets people up and going, walking around, albeit sometimes walking off of cliffs and in front of cars. But hey, that’s what the Darwin Awards are for,” laughs Clifford. “However, it’s also a great example of what a lousy experience it is to have an augmented reality world trapped on a four-inch screen.” While undeniably innovative, the app is limited in its AR potential, a concept that Clifford sees a bright future for, especially in residential construction. “Pokemon Go” uses augmented reality technology. “This is Going to be Huge” Clifford believes that the entire industry is heading towards some sort of widespread AR solution, likely in the form of a wearable such as HoloLens or Google Glass. He notes the final product will possibly resemble technology similar to the heads-up displays (HUD) seen in fighter jets. Users will be shown data in the context of how they are actually looking around a given room. The coolest thing about “Pokemon Go,” for Clifford, is that it has started to make people think differently about augmented reality and all that it can achieve. “You can’t un-see that capability. You can’t not want that,” says Clifford. “Therefore, in construction, I can’t help but think that this technology is going to be huge.” Enhancing, Designing and Upselling Many builders and integrators alike currently utilize virtual reality headsets to deliver an immersive tool for clients to tour a prospective home. However, with augmented reality, Clifford imagines a scenario far more practical and built upon participation, rather than spectacle. Augmented reality definitely holds a future in residential construction.Augmented reality definitely holds a future in residential construction. He describes a scene where builder and client could stand on an empty plot of land, and construct an entire home through augmented reality on site. The client turns to their left to see exactly where their new pool will be, with a recreation of that pool crafted through AR. But what if they want to move that pool a little more to the right? What if they want to see what a flat screen television would look like on their living room wall? No problem, says Clifford. “We have been stuck in this mode of using birds-eye views and third-party perspectives. We’re spectators, not participants,” says Clifford. “But augmented reality will drive participation and encourage collaboration. I also think it will drive upsell opportunities through the roof.” Builder’s Perspective: 3 Possible Applications Custom homebuilder Jeff Hansell agrees with the potential that augmented reality presents for construction, even after originally dismissing the idea based on how he first perceived the “Pokemon Go” phenomenon. “After I thought about it for a while, I think there are some really interesting areas that this could go for us,” says Hansell, co-owner of Swiftwater Custom Homes. The builder points to three possible game-changing applications for residential AR. Don’t Just Raise the Bar, Reset It For residential professionals involved with technology, Clifford states it is their responsibility to make it look easy, deliver that “Wow!” factor and build credibility. By using these tools, he believes builders can edge out competitors by taking the customers through a scenario that will truly blow them away. “The bar just gets reset,” says Clifford. “From this point forward, your clients will go to someone else using lesser technology and go, ‘Oh, you have a 2D drawing? Isn’t that quaint! How vintage of you!’” Do you really want to be below the bar? Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from Pokemon, which boasts the iconic catchphrase, “Gotta catch ‘em all!” In the case for builders, the ones worth catching (and keeping) are new clients. http://techomebuilder.com/emagazine-articles-1/vr-series-can-builders-learn-pokemonTue, 13 Sep 2016 08:03:00 -0700http://www.swiftwatercustomhomes.com/blog/post/my-first-techome-tackling-immediacy-to-stay-on-the-leading-edgehttp://www.swiftwatercustomhomes.com/blog/post/my-first-techome-tackling-immediacy-to-stay-on-the-leading-edge Jeff Hansell has gone a long way to get to his TecHomes of today. Innovation moves fast. If you don’t keep up with the changes, your business could suffer. Just ask Jeff Hansell. The co-owner of Swiftwater Custom Homes in Washington has learned a lot about technology’s evolution since including solar hot water systems in his first projects back in 1981. “Back then, in the Pacific Northwest, this was considered groundbreaking,” says Hansell. “So, that got me hooked on being on the leading edge of things and trying to understand where technology was going.” Jeff Hansell.Jeff Hansell.Keep in mind, however, that this was 35 years ago, and technology has been rising ever since. Back then, in terms of integrated technologies, Hansell says putting speakers in the wall or installing a dedicated fax line were considered leading edge. “So much of the vocabulary we use now wasn’t even invented yet,” he says. “There was no Internet. No Wi-Fi. No such thing as Bluetooth. In terms of home entertainment, we were just barely getting into VHS and Betamax.” Jeff Hansell The Times, They are A’Changin’ Who knew this would be a reality? Hansell cites his journey from 1981 to the present as “an interesting adventure”—one that has navigated him through consistently changing times, especially in terms of technology. “Looking back, there are so many things once considered major upgrades that are completely standard now,” says Hansell. For example, consider the hardline telephone. What used to be a completely necessary standard is now essentially obsolete, considering most people nowadays work off of their mobile devices. Hansell never could’ve predicted this shift, which he states as the most important thing he’s learned in his more than decades in business. “I’m nowhere near smart enough to anticipate what the new changes are going to be,” he laughs. “In 1981, if you had told me that people would literally be walking around with a Dick Tracey wrist phone, I would’ve called you crazy.” Staying Competitive in an Immediate Industry But, the future has arrived, and Hansell has found that it has become harder and harder to remain competitive. While solar hot water back in 1981 was considered groundbreaking, technology, today, evolves in the blink of an eye. The immediacy of it all is what he considers to be the ultimate downside. You don't want your clients to fall down a rabbit hole.You don’t want your clients to fall down a rabbit hole. “We used to have a little more time to think, plan and present with our clientele, and now they’re able to get ahead of you and sometimes even wander down a rabbit hole where you don’t want them going,” he says. Hansell believes that, nowadays, builders aren’t often afforded the time to plan adequately. They also have to battle the ever-growing DIY industry, as buyers can find so many products on the Internet. The best builders can do, according to Hansell, is anticipate … anticipate … and anticipate some more. Quite simply, to be competitive you should be ready for anything and everything this industry may throw at you. “If you’re prepared, your clients will thank you for it,” he says. And probably refer you to future business opportunities. You don’t want your clients to fall down a rabbit hole. http://techomebuilder.com/emagazine-articles-1/first-techome-tackling-immediacy-stay-leading-edge Wed, 20 Jan 2016 22:04:00 -0700