The owner of this newly built six bedroom property approached Smartcomm just over three years ago to enlist their specialist knowledge and expertise in designing and installing a state-of-the-art AV system that would provide ‘all in one control from a centralised position’.
Smartcomm’s solution encompasses an array of hi-tech gadgetry all brought together effortlessly via an ingenious Crestron control system; forming a fully integrated home automation solution that is an absolute power-house behind the scenes – and yet simple and family-friendly at the front-end.
Crestron control lies at the heart of the system and is featured throughout the property; including the swimming pool and gymnasium in the basement, the ground floor, first floor and second floor. The front end of the system can be accessed via an assortment of stylish Crestron touchpanels installed in carefully selected areas of the house – two TPS-12L 12” wall mounted master touchpanels installed in the Kitchen and Master Bedroom provide whole house control as well as control of the outside lighting, CCTV and gate entry system. A further thirteen TPS-6L wall mounted touchpanels in various rooms provide dedicated area control, whilst five TPMC-3X handheld WiFi remote controls perform as portable versions of the wall mounted touchpanels. CCTV cameras can be monitored via all touchpanels.
Both the TPS-12L’s and the TPS-6L’s include Intercoms control enabling the client to use a touchpanel in one room to call another touchpanel in a different room – or call all touchpanels in the whole house – a nifty feature for calling the family down to dinner!
An incredible 280 circuits of Lutron Lighting delivers superb illumination to every corner of the house and throughout the garden. Preset scenes cater to every mood and occasion. Lutron’s Sivoia QED (Quiet Electronic Drive) curtain and blind control makes light work of opening and closing curtains and blinds smoothly and in precise alignment. All blinds are custom-manufactured and operate with ultra-quiet and low-voltage drives.
Security plays a big part within the scheme with a variety of entry systems that would deter even the most determined unwanted visitor. The Siedle video and audio gate entry system ensures that guests at the door are seen and heard on all touchpanels before they are permitted entry whilst FOB entry only authorises family members to access the house. And if that wasn’t enough, a Biometrics finger recognition entry system at the external gates and within selected areas of the property makes certain that only persons with pre-scanned fingerprints can cross those thresholds.
Security and welfare of the family is further assured as the system has been interfaced with both the fire and burglar alarms – when the burglar alarm is triggered all the lights in the house start flashing and when the fire alarm is activated the majority of the AV kit switches off, the lights come on, curtains and blinds open and the front gates open to allow emergency vehicles instant access.
The entertainment features of the system pack an equally impressive punch as the practical elements - movies come to life in the effortlessly stylish Cinema Room packed with cutting-edge technology such as the Sherbourn AV Processor and 7 Channel amplifier, an Audyssey equalizer, Triad speakers and subwoofer, a Cineversum Blackwing 3 Full HD 1080p Projector and a Screen Research X-Mask 90" motorised cinema screen for movie watching - whilst a Pioneer 50” Full HD plasma screen provides an alternative day to day TV and SKY HD viewing option.
A Kaleidescape System further enhances the enjoyment for movie enthusiasts in the family by simplifying management and storage of their favourite movie collections and offering instant access on any display screen in the house. All this, including the lighting and curtains and blinds in the Cinema Room can be easily controlled via a sleek Crestron TPS-6X 6" colour WIFI touchpanel.
Crestron DigitalMedia provides the icing on the cake with effortless hi-definition distribution of all video sources throughout the property. The family can watch crisp clear images on any one of the numerous TV screens installed in the house including a Pioneer 60” full HD plasma screen in the Kitchen/Family Room, a Pioneer 50” full HD plasma screen in the Lounge, various other TV’s in the Dining Room, Study, all six Bedrooms, Kids Playroom and Aquavision TV’s in the Bathrooms. And if that whopping choice of TV’s wasn’t enough – there’s even one in the outside BBQ area!
Music lovers in the family have not been neglected as an Audio Request multi-room audio system delivers sweet music to every room in the house via a combination of B&W 8” and 6” high quality in-ceiling loudspeakers.
The Leisure Complex in the basement - comprising of a magnificent heated swimming pool and gymnasium - also benefits from multi-room audio and Crestron DigitalMedia via B&W in-ceiling speakers and a Pioneer 60” 1080p plasma screen.
With all the practical & entertainment features of the system covered, we now move onto the environmentally friendly aspect; to allow the Client to monitor and control the heating throughout the property, a combination of Crestron wall-mounted remote temperature sensors and remote slab sensors were installed in seventeen HVAC zones within the house and connected to Crestron CHV-TSTAT thermostats. Integrated with the Crestron control system the thermostats can be controlled from touchpanels throughout the home allowing the Client to choose independent areas to heat or cool thus enabling reduction of energy usage.
All the hardware was installed in two free standing racks in the loft space - giving 360 access for future upgrades and maintenance.
A Panasonic PBX telephone system with a mix of desk handsets and DECT wireless phones was also installed. Cisco managed switches were used the for the Network; providing a myriad of IT services for the whole family.