A 5 bedroom new build smarthome and a new garage to Cinema room conversion.
The Brief
This project is a retro fit whole home wiring project.
Our brief was to establish a solid, reliable, wired infrastructure in this property that will enable the simple integration of technology for the family’s time in the home as well as add value to the property for future sale. This modern property is located on the south end of Ayr in Ayrshire in an estate where there could be a number of homes on sale at any one time. Making the property stand out from the crowd can only help with the family’s investment. We would also provide a number of independent top quality audio and entertainment zones inside and out.
With this project the clients were living in the property whilst building works were progressing.
The Consultancy and Design
From initial consultancy and design for the 5 bedroom new build smarthome, we aimed to flood wire this fantastic property with industry top quality cable as well as setup a number of Samsung Smart Tv’s fed by a state of the art 4k video matrix including control for input devices including three sky boxes and a media server.
Each of the screen locations would have their own individual audio zones, as well as individual room control. Blinds, heating, and lighting would also be controlled via the automation system.
The Method:
Initially, our challenge was to find a route from the loft to the AV Cab without damaging the property. Consequently, our investigation proved the drop route from the loft space to the ground floor and with due care and attention taken to minimise disruption the works proceeded.
Our skilled joiner ingeniously built the AV Cab into an area that was effectively dead space, moved the radiator and boxed the cab into place, still providing access to cabling for setup.
So, we determined the AV Cab location. There was a small radiator in an alcove to the left of the main entrance to the property. This meant, the drop route and the space was ideal to house the AV Cab. Additionally, the radiator was relocated, and a platform was created to allow the cab to be situated in the previously wasted space. This setup allowed the client peace-of-mind from tampering fingers of 3 small children.
The TV’s were all Samsung Smart TV’s of various sizes sourced for the client, all have warranties supplied and even a waterproof TV screen at the hot tub!.. A variety of brackets were used, from flat mount with tilt to full cantilever systems.
The Technology
Video distribution was supplied using Wyrestorm’s fantastic HD Base T system. Very reliable and a quick install.
For HD video provision we have developed our own media center. This device provides all formats of video, audio and images to all zones in the property. In other words, a very robust, and reliable system.
Multiple Surround sound locations were created using the superb speakers from Sonance. Additionally, they are powered by the latest Yamaha AV receivers. This results in complimenting the video zones and Sonance outdoor series audio systems.
The core of the system however is the network hardware. Without a reliable and secure network the system can never be anything more than basic. As Network security is a major focus of our business, in this case we advised against off the shelf hardware and upon agreement we installed a managed network.
This comprised of the latest smart switches, Network Intrusion Detection, remote network monitoring and secure VPN and firewall hardware. As a result, this robust network was fully integrated into the physical security aspect of the home. IP Cameras, Alarm System and door access were all installed and available through the control system.
Therefore, our client can rest easy knowing his family is safe from nefarious hackers any other local threat.
The Automation
With simplicity being the key the chosen control system in this case was Control4. One of the industry’s most well-known automation systems. Control4 brings that simplicity to the client as well as robustness and the ability for the installer to upgrade and maintain the system and provide remote assistance if required.
