Completed 2012
Alarm System
This house was completed back in 2012 with a Leviton Omni Pro 2 Automation system controlling the components and alarm in the house.
Heating and Cooling
The Hydronic heating is controlled by Leviton's thermostat which allows turning on the Hydronic heating, monitoring the current temperature and also setting set points.
The Mitsubishi Air Conditioners throughout the home have a Cool Automation controller connected to the BUS system and allows for full control of the System down to the each zone.
Lighting System
The client wanted a whole house solution for their lighting and we went with Dynalite's BUS lighting system with the Antumbra light switches as the local control device. The Dynalite Antumbra switches have a nice a simplistic look to them but look their place in the most elegant of houses. They have a sensor built in that allow a back halo light to illuminate when your hand approaches, which makes seeing and controlling the switch in the dark more efficient. They also allow for custom engraving on each button which gives even guests the ability to know what each button does.
Blinds
We went with Somfy RS485 blinds that were installed by SOM Blinds, which like always, have done a fabulous job. The benefit of using the RS485 motors instead of the RTS motors from Somfy, is that the control of the blinds is done through a cable. Each motor has its own address and sends and receives signals through this cable. Also the control systems that connect to the blinds always know where the blind is currently located due to the design of the two way communication over this wire. Also the motors are a on a 50mm tube which allows for more blinds to run off the one motor compared to other blind motors, which will lower the upfront costs.
Multi-room Audio
The Leviton 8 channel Amplifier and expansion amplifier was used to allow music and alerts to be streamed to the 13 zones. Three Airplay streams, 2 Foxtel boxes, Radio and Apple TV are the inputs that can be used, which is more than enough to satisfy this family's needs.
Pool and Spa Control
We used the Dynalite system to control the Spa and Pool jets which gave the ability to turn them on in Party mode or if the Spa was going to be used after a long days work.
Networking and Wifi
Right from the start we went in with a detailed plan to make sure that the network cabling system and wireless network system was going to be sufficient for the next 15-20 years. We ran CAT6 cable ran to every TV point, bedroom, study locations and any device that could be cabled. With the design of the house in mind, a Wireless system was designed to make sure every bit of the internals of the house was able to get Wifi signal.
Cameras
Installation of 3MP IP cameras around the house and one at the front gate allowed for an overview of what was happening at the house at all times. With the gate being over 120 metres from the house we had to come up with a wireless network connection between the house and gate to allow for the camera and the IP intercom that was to be installed.
TV Control
A basic HDMI Amplifier was installed to allow the 2 Foxtel boxes to be broadcasted to varies TVs throughout the house.
2018
Control4 Upgrade
With Control4 releasing their new EA Controllers, it was time to upgrade this system to be controlled with Control4. Upgrading the existing system took some planning and we presented the plan to the client on the benefits it will provide.
EA3 Controller
We installed the EA3 controller which would be minimum controller needed for this size system. This gave us 2 more audio streaming outputs for the client to use, plus have the ability to play custom sound alerts for various scenarios. Some new sound alerts where customised such as doorbell, intercom and smoke alarm triggered.
Control4 10" Touch Screen
We removed one of the flush mounted Ipads which was located in the main kitchen/living area and installed the Control4 hard wired touch screen. This allowed for a direct cabled screen that could be used for intercom and house control, unlike iPads that can fail due to Apple IOS updates.
Control4 8x8 AV Switcher
Installation of this device gave the client control over their Foxtel and other smart devices. Instead of having one Foxtel box allocated to a TV, each TV could now choose which Foxtel box to watch, even the Apple TV or pick a movie to watch off their newly installed NAS Hard Drive.
Control4 DS2 IP Intercom
We removed the old 2n IP intercom which had a SD camera installed and installed Control4's DS2 IP intercom which had a HD camera installed. Also the ability to be able to change the users and their codes from the Control4 app, which wasn't available on the previous model. Custom programming can be done on each user's code input giving the ability to know who is home or have different actions happen for cleaners. Also the intercom being able to make a HD video call to all of the registered devices when the intercom button is pressed gives the client peace of mind when they are not home. The ability to be able to open the front gate and garage to allow deliveries to be dropped off securely, where before they where left out the front at the gate.
Home Cinema
We were able to remove all of the remotes from the Cinema Room and have the Control4 control all of the devices needed to make watching a movie a dream. The ease of using the Control4 SR260 remote allows the client to press the Watch button, then what they want to watch, such as Foxtel box 1 or a movie.