Penned by the capable hand of Deborah Chambers and featured in the pages of the Buildings and Cities journal on September 6, 2022, this article delves into the intriguing question of whether contemporary smart home concepts are ushering in a new era of gender-equitable household dynamics and heightened energy efficiency. A meticulous analysis of 36 promotional documents pertaining to smart homes uncovers a disconcerting trend: these visionary concepts persistently neglect the diverse fabric of households, while also sidestepping discussions about energy conservation and the undue burdens that traditional housework often places on women. To remedy these dual concerns, the article posits the implementation of a care-centric ethos. The key insight gleaned from this examination underscores the potential to reconfigure smart home visions, thereby fostering household practices that champion gender equality and concurrently facilitate reductions in energy consumption.

Keywords: Architecture/Engineering, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Association, Audio/Video, Clean Tech, Climate Change, Connected Home, Construction/New Buildings, Cybersecurity/Privacy, Energy Efficiency/Management, Internet of Things (IoT), Post-COVID-19, Power over Ethernet (PoE), Protocols/Standards, Smart Grid, Training, Water Management