An ADU constructed by MassDwell. Photo Courtesy of MassDwell
Local ADU builder MassDwell will be adding some new technology to its accessory dwelling units to make them more attractive to older buyers.
In early 2027, ADUs built in MassDwell’s 30,000-square-foot production line in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, will feature smart home company Cherish’s Home Hub technology. ADU owners can turn on the hub by signing up for a subscription with Cherish.
The Home Hub is an independent living platform designed to protect people aging or living with health challenges. It features a radar-based system that detects falls and monitors a resident’s body position, daily patterns, mobility changes, respiration and heart rate through walls, without cameras or wearables like a smart watch or pendant.
The idea to add the tech came in part because 86 percent of the Needham-based ADU builders’ customers are 65 or older, said MassDwell Founder and CEO Steve Vettori. ADUs, legalized statewide last year, have been touted as a solution for homeowners looking to downsize while still aging in their communities, sometimes with family living on the same property.
“One of the early signs of dementia is a change in a person’s walking gait,” he said. “We’re really trying to differentiate ourselves by being a home provider that leans heavily into healthcare and age tech.”
Beyond health monitoring, the technology can be used as the ADU’s internet router. Additionally, built-in audio enables voice calls and audio playback. Cherish CEO Sumit Nagpal said in a statement that the integration into MassDwell’s ADUs would be “a world first.”
The ADU builder is even looking beyond multi-generational living. It is also looking to build units for healthcare providers who would live on a property.
“What we want to do is develop a fleet of MassDwell care pods that can be positioned in people’s backyards to bring the healthcare provider to you,” Vettori said. “So if you need 24/7 care, what you can do is lease out on a monthly basis one of our care pods and have that provider live there, not necessarily be in the house and encroaching on the sanctity of the elderly person. When that need is no longer there, we’ll pick up that home care pod and move it to the next person.”
