Smartcomm present a striking 7 bedroom development in Hertfordshire boasting a state-of-the-art Home Cinema featuring Crestron Control. Going to the movies has never been more fun!
Beech Hill is a luxurious new development by Oliver & Saunders (Developments) Ltd – a company which today enjoys a high reputation for constructing luxury homes in some of the best locations in the UK, from some of the best materials available, using master craftsmen.
Having prospered from a string of successful developments in the past, Oliver & Saunders wanted to go one step further with Beech Hill by including a Home Cinema within the design. The plan was to give the new property a ‘wow’ factor so that in comparison to other developments in the area, their development could be marketed to a higher specification.
This being the first project by Oliver & Saunders to include a Home Cinema, their Project Manager, Andrew Oliver, comments on why they needed expert assistance: “With Beech Hill we wanted to surpass our previous developments and offer an extra element of luxury. We had two options which we could pursue; a lavish swimming pool or a state-of-the-art home cinema. We decided that a home cinema would be more suited to this particular development, and although all of our properties include an element of audio visual technology as standard, this was our very first project with a custom home cinema. As this is not an area of expertise for us, we knew that we had to rely fully on a specialist integration company and having already worked with them on another project, the decision to appoint Smartcomm was easy.”
Working alongside Alexandra Dixon Interiors, who were appointed by the Developer to create an overall look for the Cinema Room, Smartcomm designed a system that would be aesthetically pleasing, have an instant impact on potential buyers, be easy to upgrade and most importantly – be simple and fun to use!
At the heart of the system lies the Crestron CP2E processor, a powerful ‘brain’ that provides an ideal control solution for home theatres, audio distribution systems, and complete home automation. The CP2E has the power and capacity to run the most sophisticated control applications thus enabling any future additions to be easily integrated within the existing system. A potential upgradeable option includes a Parasound 5 way HD switcher which allows up to 5 HD sources so additions such as a HD movie server and SKY HD could be integrated at a later stage.
Access to the CP2E control system is via a Crestron TPMC-8X touchpanel, giving full control of the SIM2 projector, projection screen, Blu-Ray DVD player, Freeview Box, audio setup, Audio Request music server, blackout blind and lights, at the touch of a button.
To assist the developer in showcasing the home cinema to potential buyers, a demo sequence was set up whereby at the touch of a single button on the Crestron touchpanel, the projector fires up, the blackout blind and projection screen drop down, the lights dim and the DVD player starts. The DVD skips straight to the beginning of the movie thus avoiding delays and giving the potential buyer a full home cinema experience.
Lighting control is via a Crestron iLux CLS-C6 six channel lighting dimmer - a complete, integrated lighting system designed for wall mount installations. Using Crestron's networked Shade and Drape Controllers*, the CLS-C6 enables versatile control of a roomful of motorized window treatments, screens and lifts in up to 6 shade groups. The C2NI-CB lighting keypad, which is wall-mounted next to the door of the cinema room, allows customized control of the bespoke down lights in the ceiling, LED lights inset into the walls to highlight the Oak steps and LED light track. In addition it has been programmed with “Room On” and “Room Off” scenes which replay the demo sequence as per the TPMC-8X. This enables the developer to either fire up the system from the lighting keypad when walking into the room, or from the wireless touchpanel when seated.
Sound is available via three Triad Silver LCR theatre performance speakers, 2 B&W ASW608 subwoofers and four Triad Silver 4 Surround in-ceiling theatre performance speakers – which were given a bespoke spray finish to match the colour of the ceiling. Bespoke joinery at the front of the room was designed to create a frame around the projection screen and to house the LCR speakers and B&W subwoofers. Acoustically transparent cloth was used for the speaker housing to ensure that the audio quality was not compromised. To further enhance the quality of the sound, Cineak sound absorption panels with detailed Oak framing were fitted onto the walls of the room.
Other features of the installation include eight bespoke electric reclining cinema seats from Cineak - with design input from Smartcomm with regards to armrests and cup holders whilst the colour scheme was chosen by the interior designer. The chairs have the option of being upgraded with hydraulic vibrators to further enhance the home cinema experience. The interior and joinery package includes Oak window framing, steps, doors and skirting boards, custom built steel and glass handrails and carpeting.
Commenting on the finished product, Andrew Oliver relishes on the success of Smartcomm’s installation: “The end result speaks for itself - we are delighted with the installation as the picture and sound quality is exceptional. The home cinema is certainly a major selling point in this development and I’m sure the future owners will take full advantage of having the best seats in the house every time they want to watch a film!"