Case studies

The Integrated Home Installation: Part 2 - How it was achieved (8/6/2004)

By Jonathan Margolis

The business end of the electronic installation in our featured integrated home has been cunningly concealed in its entirety by CEDIA member 'The Edge' in racks behind acres of tasteful and expensive panelling in this London penthouse apartment.

Equipment rack and plasma

The system comprises a centralised TV and satellite network, lighting control that includes blind lowering and raising via 50 separate motors, a data network providing a LAN (Local Area Network) for up to 22 data outputs, all of which are connected to a 24-port Ethernet data switcher, a phone network for three lines, heating control via chilled beams and under-floor heating, remote access interfacing, TV and CCTV distribution, structured wiring and concealed speakers throughout.

Like many high-end installations, the entertainment network is very much at the system's heart.

Concealed entertainment rack

'In the main entertainment cupboard, we have a radio tuner, a DVD player which can also play CDs as well, a sound server, home cinema amplifier, and a 16 by 16 audio/ video matrix,' explains The Edge's Kevin Moore. 'This means we can have 16 inputs and any variation of outputs, so for instance, we can get a video signal out to all the rooms or to any combination of rooms we like.'

'Because we have a 16 by 16 switcher, we have plenty of room to expand. Obviously, the developer doesn't want to buy source equipment like CD players, because who's to say what the client will want? So we've taken a gamble and just put in things that we thought would allow the developer to sell the place, and sure enough, the guy who has purchased it has decided to buy the equipment. But he might choose a four zone sound server - it's currently a two zone. Sixteen zone servers are available but they are a lot of money and there is no way a developer would gamble on that.'

'Security-wise, there are four cameras in this installation: two black and white cameras form part of the access system, a colour camera is positioned in the lobby area and another out in the foyer. We also have a TV distribution system that currently routes signals to 12 outlets and also modulates the camera signals. The DVD signals and the graphics that have been produced by the sound server are similarly distributed, so the consumer can plug in anywhere around the property and have access to all the central systems. There are plugs and speaker points as well in each room, so if the client wants a higher quality loudspeaker in the bedroom, for example, he can plug into the speaker plugs rather than use the ceiling speakers. There are also plenty of power points in every room, right next to which are RJ 45 outlets for the computer/telephone network.'

'There are actually no telephone outlets installed so the thirty-two RJ45 computer outlets go through to a patch panel. At the moment, there is a 16-way hub, so you could have 16 computers running simultaneously. And if you don't want a computer output, there are adaptors that will convert it to a standard telephone outlet.'

'All the wiring throughout the apartment is hidden behind wooden panelling, incorporating three compartment trunking. The void behind is about 100 millimetres, where all the heating and power services run together with all the low voltage and signal cabling. This created quite a challenge for us, because there were long parallel runs in close proximity to each other. We've tried to keep everything as secure as possible by using conduits to take the galvanised trunking, but it was quite tight because of amount of space.'

The nerve centre of Kevin's installation is in a concealed walk-in cupboard in the apartment's lobby. 'This is the electrical service point, the noisy area where you have all the nasty stuff,' he explains. 'We have 83 lighting circuits terminating here, as well as 56 relay outputs for 20 zones of blinds.'

Controlling the heating system was another challenge for The Edge. 'The way this heating system works is very unusual because you have cooling and heating that potentially could operate at the same time, so the object of the climate control in this place is to cool rather than heat. What we don't want to happen is for the heating system to be fighting itself.'

Concealed heating controls

'We can provide support on the heating and ventilation controls by dialling into the system through a cellular phone based modem,' says David Robinson of East Sussex-based smartkontrols, explaining his part of the apartment's installation.

'There's a module in a cupboard in the dining room which takes a SIM card just like a cell phone, and has its own aerial. So we can phone up the building from our offices, where we have a support centre, without going through any of the client's main lines. It is a completely independent IT system, so we can't accidentally tap into the client's private stuff on his PC, and we can get through even if his connection to his internet provider is down. We can run the entire system, diagnose faults, adjust times and temperatures, as well as address problems caused through mis-programming. And if a piece of equipment has gone faulty, and needs physical attention, we can call out the appropriate fitter to fix it.'

The kitchen of this highly integrated apartment is relatively light on electronic plumbing - if 'light' means no more than integrated speakers, lighting controls, data sockets and a television point.'

The master bedroom, on the other hand, is something of an audio-feast.

Penthouse bedroom

'We have three rooms here, the mezzanine, the bathroom and the bedroom,' Kevin Moore explains in the 20-foot-high suite looking out over the Houses of Parliament. 'But we've made it one zone for audio. Because this is an unusual space for distributing audio, we've put ceiling speakers throughout, but if the client wants to do something different, we've provided in-wall speaker terminals so he can have some big floor standing loudspeakers if he requires them.'

Multiroom audio touchscreen bathroom

'We have also installed a remote control speaker switch, that allows the speakers in the different rooms to be selected, and that's all done from the touch screen. So the owners can specify which speakers they want activated in the bedroom or the bathroom or the mezzanine, or in any combination. The other refinement is that the bass, treble and balance are all controlled from here as well. This isn't always the case in multi-room systems.

Future proofing is always one of a CEDIA installer's priorities, and it's usually delivered by thoughtful wiring.

'This place is totally networked for today,' Kevin explains, 'but we have duplicated everything. For every wire in here, there is another one. We have installed spare TV cables, spare data cables, even infra-red cables, so if we want to upgrade the IR control system for example, or control a new piece of hardware that isn't compatible with the existing system, we have capacity in reserve that allows us to do it.'

Jonathan Margolis is a freelance journalist for national papers such as the FT, Mirror etc. This case study appears courtesy of CEDIA UK (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association).

www.cedia.co.uk
www.edgesmarthomes.co.uk