When we think of cutting-edge technology in the home, we rarely think of the toilet. But Mike Stram, president of Tampa, Fla.-based Stram Electronics' Home Theater Gallery, reminds us that it wasn't all that long ago when the toilet and indoor plumbing were technological innovations.

    Turn-of-the-century architects and homebuilders, in fact, had difficulty determining how to incorporate the radical concept into floorplans. According to Stram, it was the toilet salespeople who showed them a way to modify their plans by implementing a "water closet," what we now know as the bathroom.

    Homebuilders today are facing a similar dilemma: how to incorporate the wide array of wiring necesary for a "connected home" into floorplans. Stram says that he, an audio/video salesperson, has the solution — a Technology Closet.

    "My idea of the Technology Closet is to provide a standard floorplan change that is implemented at the basic design level of the floorplan," says Stram. "Every time a new technology is brought to the market, that service provider has been responsible for their own implementation and wiring."

    Stram says the lack of uniformity has led to a complex wiring mess in most homes. All this equipment, he says, has the same needs: electrical power, ventilation, wiring access, service access, and it's all able to be rack-mounted. He adds that with the growing popularity of flat-panel TVs and in-wall speakers, there is a strong consumer desire to see minimal equipment.

    "My idea of the Technology Closet will address all these concerns, with no disadvantages to the homeowner or any future buyer of the home," says Stram. "Each person will be able to have any type of system they desire and not be locked into what the previous owner had."

    The Technology Closet, according to Stram, provides the necessary space, ventilation and access to smart-home systems. It's the home-run location of all the low-voltage wiring.

    The next step for Stram is convincing homebuilders and architects that the Technology Closet is a smart choice. It's already in use within some residences in JMC Community's Belle Harbor development in Clearwater Beach, Fla., and a few other residences throughout the state.

-- CEPro Community, May 2004
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