Grovelands, a very large luxury self build house which took five years to complete, saw KNX UK Association systems integrator member E-Life push the boundaries of smart home technology. As well as a large array of control and home entertainment products for the property, E-Life used KNX intelligent building control technology for the heating, air-conditioning, lighting, curtains and blinds as well as other aspects of the living environment to provide a fully integrated solution.
E-Life’s brief was to provide a state of the art building control system fully integrated with a high end AV installation. The company had to use all its experience to offer quality products and systems that could communicate with each other. Ease of use was paramount to the client as well as aesthetically pleasing front end components.
The KNX building system controls the building services within the property, including all internal and external lighting which features mood lighting, simulated occupancy, panic buttons, night lights, integration with the property’s security alarm and energy saving daylight sensing for external lights.
Security was also high on the agenda and the client wanted to fully integrate the CCTV, security alarm and gate entry system. E-Life interfaced the CCTV cameras, which can be viewed on all TV’s, linking them into a Crestron system so they can be viewed and controlled from the wall mounted touch panels. The main gate entry itself can also be viewed and controlled from the Crestron touch panels.
KNX controls the underfloor heating throughout the house and it has also been linked to a BACNET gateway controlling the property’s BMS which operates the plant room boilers and air handling units for comfort cooling. Electric blinds and curtains have been fitted into nearly every room of the house and are also operated simply with keypad controls.
The property’s high specification AV system includes features such as a Crestron multi-room music system, hidden motorised plasma lifts for the TVs, wireless hand held controllers and an entertainment system installed in an outdoor pavilion. The client also has the ability of calling up any film or music album in any room whilst the children have their own mini-music system that allows them to plug in their own I-Pods without giving them access to the main home entertainment system. A PABX system with over 20 extensions for incoming calls and for calling between rooms has also been installed.
Other features of the installation include large internal sliding doors that slid inside the walls and are operated by the local KNX keypad. There is also a water feature in the main entrance hall which is operated from the KNX keypad and Crestron touch panel.
For further information contact KNX UK, PO Box 4082, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 9EQ, Email: admin@knxuk.org, Website: www.knxuk.org.