From his recently updated Crestron property in the UK, former Harry Potter stuntman David Holmes speaks to Layla Laidouci about how assisted living technology is enriching lives, businesses and humanity.
“As smart products and voice control evolve, my community is experiencing greater inclusivity than ever; the most disabling thing about being a wheelchair user is the environment you’re in.” Surrounded by potted plants and artisanal lighting, Holmes greets me over Zoom with the infectious positivity for which he’s known and loved.
Born with a boundless sense of energy, Holmes harnessed his talent for gymnastics from an early age as a budding ‘gymnast stuntman extraordinaire’. He would go on to breathe life, action and magic into the Harry Potter movies as a core member of the stunt team.
After eight years of doubling for lead actor Daniel Radcliffe, Holmes sustained a serious spinal injury while rehearsing a stunt. He was initially diagnosed with paralysis from the neck down and limited function in his left arm – but time and age would reveal another devastating blow. His injury is degenerative.
"The most disabling thing about being a wheelchair user is the environment you're in."
Following multiple surgeries and further motor loss, Holmes worked with installer Custom Sight and Sound (CSS) to leverage residential technologies in an extension of his limbs. His whole-home Crestron system was upgraded last year to build on lifestyle considerations like wellness and security.
“After my Sky documentary The Boy Who Lived, director Ian Bolt from CSS got in touch to upgrade my technology,” says Holmes. “And Crestron provided its new Home ecosystem for free because I’d done some advertising about my journey using the tech. The old devices were left for me to donate, which I think is an important environmental responsibility.”
He gestures to his flatscreen TV, tucked away neatly in an alcove behind him: “That TV in the background has been there since initial installation, and I have no desire to change it. I’m working with Crestron and CSS on better collaboration between big tech companies, because I believe this will transform the future of assisted living.
“For example, there’s so much competition between brands like Apple Home and Alexa and I think they should be working together to make these experiences even more brilliant. I wish we could share more perspectives with the developers on the ground and that’s why I’m working with Sky. I’m beta testing its Glass app and designing skins for its remotes to support people with limited hand function, making introductions with Crestron and CSS along the way.”
His Crestron upgrade includes the brand’s NAX audio and NVX video platforms for hi-res and 4K distribution, alongside increased commands for the SIRI/Crestron-integrated system. “The Apple Home interaction is no longer limited to 100 voice commands,” Holmes says. “And I can ring the integrator to instantly change the lighting presets. If the internet supply comes down, I’ve got 5G backup or voice control operation to call for assistance. The fear of needing emergency help and not having anyone there is crushing.”
"I wish we could share more perspectives with developers on the ground."
Holmes credits voice control with fostering a sense of inclusion never known before by previous generations of those living with disability. However, there are clearly areas for improvement: he explains assistants like Alexa and Siri often have difficulty recognising accents and soft voices, while a specific design flaw in Apple's system fails to control devices with the same name.
He also highlights how, along with its functional capabilities, smart home can unleash human physicality and creativity in novel ways. After growing up on film sets from the age of 17, Holmes is using lighting and technology to set the scene for daily life: “In this environment, all my Lutron-controlled lights are recessed and staged to remove glare.”
In Holmes’ frame, I can see this attention to detail continues with uplighters behind the plants and downlights around the TV unit. “When you’re lying in a hospital bed for a year under that harsh glare, you know just how offensive lighting can be to your eyes and wellbeing,” he relates.
“I would consider myself an artist that doesn’t draw or paint. I curate environments, whether that’s the lighting level as the sun goes down or the right music at a dinner party. I’m always creating and curating – technology can provide a paintbrush when you can’t hold one.”
And smart lighting is not the only standout innovation of custom install, he says: “Music and movies are my coping mechanism. It’s hard to pick one highlight, but I guess it’s got to be between my Bang & Olufsen bedroom speakers and cinema screen; I love hitting my speakers and experiencing the feeling of living in a giant stereo.
“The unilateral integration, from wireless audio to motorised doors, enables me to carry out actions without asking someone else to get involved. Words can’t express what that means to me.”
"I’m always creating and curating – technology can provide a paintbrush when you can’t hold one.”
Holmes acknowledges that fully integrated technologies are affordable only for the few, but it’s on this topic that his eyes light up with passion: “I speak from a position of extreme privilege when it comes to living with disability,” he says. “I can afford to pay for my costs of care, build a home and achieve independence. But I always check that privilege.
“Following our work together, CSS carried out a free install for my friend Chris who also lives with disability; he can now close the blinds, operate the lights and open the front door. I think there’s an opportunity to be had for companies who step up in this way. They have a lot to gain from the short-term financial loss by raising awareness and paving the way towards smart home integration for those who need it, physically and emotionally.”
On the CSS website, Bolt says working with Holmes inspired the company to evaluate its responsibilities with automated technologies. CSS is investing in people and quality of life to showcase home automation at its most meaningful. And perhaps this is vital to the future of a market largely dismissed as the playground of the rich.
"I think there’s an opportunity for companies who step up."
Towards the end of our chat, Holmes touches on the universal experience of aging and enjoying the present. As he speaks about thinking ahead in residential design, it strikes me that the onset of change and uncertainty unite us all. “Instead of relying on governments for investment, I’m rallying the tech industry to support my community,” says Holmes. “Those living with motor difficulties can support product development, beta testing and free advertising in the long-term interests of able-bodied people. If industries invest in us today, everyone gets a better tomorrow.”
