Project: Giving a prestige home that ‘wow’ factor

A recently built, four-storey home in Melbourne’s prestigious Toorak was an obvious candidate for home automation. To cope with the home’s complexity and sophistication, five separate Clipsal C-Bus networks were installed to control 29 motorised blinds, motorised plasma-lifts, irrigation, swimming pool, over 600 light fittings, motion sensors and colour-changing LED lighting.

The initial client brief was to incorporate technology within the home, while ensuring ease of use and flexibility to add, update and incorporate new products. Following numerous discussions and countless hours of research and preparation, a home with the very latest technology available in today’s market was delivered. Some of the products used within this home were a first in Australia.

Flexibility was critical throughout the project, as often equipment changed due to advancements in technology. Detailed project management was therefore essential for the duration of the project to ensure smooth implementation.

Following many hours of research and testing, a Samsung wireless IP telephone system was installed throughout the home to ensure the owner could use wireless handsets anywhere in the house, without dropping calls. Wireless IP base stations provide IP connectivity for the handsets as well as for laptops and other equipment. The phone system was also integrated into the HTS touch-screen system, enabling each member of the house to use the touch-screen to make, answer and transfer calls, as well as view their own individual message banks.

Introducing colour-changing LEDs to the theatre, games and pool/entertaining areas produced lighting effects comparable with Crown Complex, creating different moods, colours and themes. In the theatre, LEDs were installed around the 120″ screen to create a halo or ‘floating-screen’ effect, as well as along all the walls and under the skirting. All of these lights are controlled by ‘scenes’. The LEDs are controlled through Phillips Pronto and Entec controllers via C-Bus and the HTS touch-screen system. Similar products used in the games room made a high-tech statement: ‘neon-flex’ around the ceiling, colour-changing pylon lights and a colour-changing coffered ceiling.

The home has 11 TV locations in the house, where the family can choose from HDTV, Foxtel (six Foxtel boxes installed) and stored media on a main server. Five of the locations have media centre PCs that also provide access to the internet. Four Pronto touch-screen remotes were installed in the main TV areas, making it easy to switch between sources - TV, Foxtel, media server, PS3 console and CCTV, all from one control.

A Sonos multi-room audio system was used to provide high-quality audio throughout the house, with the focus on ease of use. There are 21 separately controlled Sonos zones around the home.

Ethernet LAN switches provide internet access to anywhere in the house, including the Sonos system, Wireless Samsung access points, fixed and wireless computers and media servers. A dedicated communications room was built to house the security, access-control, AV and TV distribution and CCTV systems, as well as networking equipment and servers.

In the event of a power-outage, the house has a 6 kVA generator that automatically starts up to power essential services: sump pumps, security, emergency lighting, phones and a few general circuits.

The home’s lift was integrated into the automation system so that, prior to the lift car opening, the lights in the immediate foyer of that level would light up. The top floor can only be accessed via a biometric fingerprint reader in the lift.

The theatre has a ‘gold class’ ambience - LED-backlit movie posters, optic-fibre star-lit ceiling that twinkles different colours, electric recliner-chairs and perimeter and step lighting, all controlled by the touch of a button. The controller also integrates all of the AV equipment including projector, Lexicon processor, DVDO iscan50, PS3, HDTV, Blu-ray DVD, Foxtel and media theatre PC.

Three touch-screen systems located on the different levels enable to family to set, control and monitor lighting scenes; control and monitor access using security cameras and front door intercoms; set home-theatre modes; control irrigation; set pool-lighting moods; control the SONOS audio system; browse the web and check emails. Built-in webcams also enable Skype video calls.

A delighted client was full of praise at the end of the project, stating: “The HTS team worked together with many trades. They project-managed the entire project and achieved an outstanding result.”