Award-winning sustainable architects Architype appointed to curate blueprint for DHI’s Rural Centre of Excellence Smart Housing Project

Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) has appointed award-winning sustainable architects Architype to lead the design of a Smart Housing Blueprint, focusing on improving health and wellbeing, and environmental sustainability in rural communities.

The Smart Rural Home Blueprint, led by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) with Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) and the Moray Growth Deal Housing Mix Delivery project, demonstrates how housing can act as a platform for digital health innovation. By embedding connected technologies into the fabric of the home at the point of construction, the project goes beyond traditional housing models to create spaces that support health, wellbeing, and independence—particularly in rural and remote communities.

From a digital health perspective, the blueprint represents a shift from reactive to preventative models of care. Integrated systems such as IoT sensors, AI-enabled monitoring, and connection capability to data-sharing platforms, will generate insights into resident health, wellbeing, and environment. These systems support self-management, early intervention, and independent living, reducing pressure on overstretched health and care services. For rural populations, where distance and workforce shortages are significant barriers, the home itself becomes a hub for digitally enabled support, bridging service gaps and reducing inequalities. Evolve Capex and the Alternative UK are key collaborators in the development of the project, linking digital engagement with the wider social and economic benefits associated with rural digital health and smart home technology.

It also advances Scotland’s ambitions for low-carbon housing, as homes are designed to be both energy efficient and digitally connected from the start. The integration of renewable energy systems and modular construction methods ensures the homes contribute directly to climate action while supporting the delivery of digital-first care models.

The blueprint will be delivered through immersive tools such as VR walkthroughs and interactive 3D models, making the vision tangible for policymakers, developers, care providers, and citizens. It will also serve as a catalyst for further research, student engagement, and investment in digital health innovation.

This project is part of a £5M initiative funded by the UK Government and delivered by DHI’s Rural Centre of Excellence through the Moray Growth Deal. This investment focuses on advancing research and innovation in digital health, aiding the remobilisation of health and social care services in the region.

Professor Margaret Whoriskey MBE, Head of DHI’s Innovation for Care and Wellbeing said:

“DHI is delighted to be working with Architype in collaboration with Moray Council and BE-ST innovation centre to deliver an innovative digital blueprint for a ‘smart’ house. This provides a significant opportunity for Moray but also wider in Scotland and beyond to lever in the benefits of digital technology to support people in their own homes.”

Christina Gaiger- Associate Director, Architype said:

"Architype is thrilled to bring together our expertise in sustainability, healthcare, and housing, in collaboration with a diverse and dynamic team. This project offers a unique opportunity to inject fresh thinking into a vital area of research—supporting the long-term future of health and social care in housing for generations to come.”

Gordon Bain, Evolve Capex Director said:

“The Smart Rural Home of the Future is more than a building, it’s a platform for health, sustainability, and community. By weaving in digital-first tools and new models of delivery, we can unlock opportunities for rural Scotland that ripple far beyond housing.