Guided by the client and a dedicated design team, smart automation company ZIO integrated a series of human-centric technologies to transcend traditional boundaries in this estate.
Home to over 13.5 miles of wiring, this new build reimagines luxury living as a fluid landscape of open spaces to support leisure, business and education in equal measure. Celebrated as the Best Integrated Home at the CEDIA Americas Smart Home Awards 2025, the Modern Lakefront Intelligent Estate brings to life a vision conceived in early 2019. Though delayed by a global pandemic, the completed home now stands majestic in its exuberant Florida surroundings with everything from custom lighting to voice management on its Control4 backbone. We find out how the integration provides the client, a world-renowned chef, with a residence that reinforces his passion.
Vision and beginnings
“In early meetings with the client, we knew we were at least a couple years from handing over a complete system,” recalls Peter Shipp, principal at ZIO. “At first we worked closely with Rob Turner from CRT Studio Interiors as well as Michael Wenrich Architects to establish their aesthetic vision. It was critical for lighting design and implementation, with photometric analysis on the kitchen and pantry areas to ensure all countertops were well-lit to create a suitable working environment.”
The client’s request for an open-plan living experience shaped the design: lighting, audio and automation define zones instead of walls to create a graceful flow between rooms. This concept required a strict adherence to straight and perpendicular lines rather than rounded edges. Shipp explains: “We coordinated closely with the general contractor to select square architectural lighting fixtures and speakers with small apertures to disappear into the modern straight lines of the home's ceilings. We also brought in a cabinetmaker, one of our frequent collaborators, to ensure the linear accent lighting designs could be executed and serviced without sacrificing aesthetics.”
The design team’s meticulous approach extended even to subtle details like wall-mounted controls. Lighting keypads, touchscreen panels and Josh.ai voice interfaces were positioned carefully to reduce wall clutter. The homeowners could operate most systems hands-free, controlling AV and lighting scenes through natural voice commands.
“The reliable network infrastructure is crucial to the client and his family,” adds Shipp. “Seamless Wi-Fi coverage and automatic failover protection support their management of multiple businesses, online classes and streaming content across the home simultaneously.”
Design through adversity
The journey from concept to completion was far from smooth. Early in the build, involvement from the original designer waned to prompt more hands-on input from the homeowner. But ZIO adapted by collaborating directly with contractors to deliver a cohesive design underpinned by serviceable systems, everywhere from the client’s personal office to the communal fitness room.
To complicate matters, the global pandemic created supply chain shortages and forced repeated design changes once work was resumed. Ceiling conditions evolved as construction progressed, which meant downlights already roughed in for drywall had to be relocated to fit new millwork. And the ceiling coves, integral to the lighting design, contracted multiple times as adjustments were made.
One especially complex element involved hidden shade pockets for the Lutron Sivoia QS motorised window treatments. Despite only three standard size profiles, several pockets had to be reworked repeatedly to achieve seamless concealment within the architecture.
The solution hinged on Lutron HomeWorks QSX automation combined with Ketra LED lighting, which was integrated into bespoke recessed panels inside the ceiling coves. These concealed fixtures divide open spaces visually and create ambient light layers without relying on conventional downlighting.
“This was our first large project using Ketra intelligent light fixtures,” says Shipp. “They highlight the versatility of the large open-concept living space and the unique decorative fixtures, with scenes ranging from bright task lighting to warm ambience and even futuristic neon vibes. Ketra's Vibrancy tuning, a reflective feature, is used to great effect to showcase the client's diverse collections of art and vehicles.”
Human-centric lighting
Ketra’s lighting benefits from multidiode LEDs, which produce a full spectrum of hues and maintain colour consistency over time through proprietary Colour Lock technology. This ability to precisely tune colour temperature and intensity supports the homeowner’s busy lifestyle, helping regulate circadian rhythms regardless of time zone.
Floor-to-ceiling windows frame sweeping lake views in nearly every room, supported by motorised roller shades to manage natural light. Ketra complements the external environment with its Natural Show curves, an automated sequence that adjusts indoor lighting to follow the sun’s arc.
“Extra attention to detail was taken to match Ketra’s interior colour temperature to the warm hues of the sunlight reflecting over the lake as the sun rises and sets,” Shipp explains. “Ketra gives the residents the ability to transform a room and set any mood they desire, whether that’s for entertaining guests or quiet relaxation.”
The lighting system integrates with both Lutron and Control4 platforms, activating automated scenes through sensors, schedules or voice commands via Josh.ai. The homeowner can also customise dynamic scenes directly from the Lutron app.
"Ketra gives the residents the ability to transform a room and set any mood they desire, whether that's for entertaining guests or quiet relaxation."
Technical challenges
The home’s smart infrastructure demanded meticulous technical attention from beginning to end. As the design evolved, more Ketra linear lighting was added than initially planned which saw ZIO coordinate with the homeowner and electricians to distribute 102 hidden lighting controllers throughout coves, closets and cabinets.
The team processed over 130 order changes and handled more than 20 return material authorisations (RMAs) for defective equipment across the project’s six-year lifespan. Success depended on wiring diagrams, fixture schedules and programming notes to align the efforts of multiple contractors.
One of the more convoluted details involved integrating Ketra LS0 Lightbar Slim fixtures into custom-built shelving in the Formal Living Room and Master Bedroom. Because LS0 fixtures cannot be wired in parallel, their tight spacing posed a major obstacle. ZIO collaborated closely with the millwork carpenter and cabinetry designer to devise creative wiring methods and custom trims that ultimately forged a “beautiful custom feature”.
The same carpenter fabricated bespoke trims for downlights in the home theatre to blend them into the fabric-lined ceiling. All downlighting uses square mud-in trims to conceal structural elements, while small-aperture James speakers disappear into the ceiling grid to maintain the home’s clean lines.
Media, entertainment and whole-home control
A Control4 backbone ties together lighting, HVAC, security, video surveillance and media while working in tandem with Lutron. Distributed audio even extends to the outdoor poolside seating area via in-ceiling speakers, while video sources across the home are powered by the Kaleidescape multiroom media server.
Three Anthem home theatre receivers provide for full surround sound systems in the family room, primary bedroom and gaming room. Outside, a purpose-built kitchen features a 55-inch Samsung Terrace QLED with ceiling mounted Sonance speakers for al fresco entertainment. The pool area audio showcases four Coastal Source 10.0 three-way Ellipse Bollard speakers, supported by the ceiling speakers which provide extended coverage.
On the second floor, a dedicated media room benefits from a range of premium home cinema products: the Storm Audio ISP Elite processes and sends audio to the Wisdom Audio amplifiers that power its speakers in an immersive setup. The Kaleidescape Terra Prime server distributes up to ten simultaneous playback streams in 4K HDR when connected to the two Strato C players. Adding to the system is a JVC DLA-NZ9 D-ILA projector, featuring new 8K proprietary technology using four-direction shift to upscale images from 4K signals. It's also enhanced with a Lumagen RadiancePro video processor.
ZIO engineered a trio of high-capacity equipment racks to house the theatre components, central AV systems and network gear. All three racks are in a single mechanical room behind the theatre for efficient wiring and servicing.
“We chose to dedicate a rack each to the theatre, centralised AV systems and network wiring,” says Shipp. “We wanted to keep all racks contained to a single mechanical room, fusing together these three on a raised platform in a monolith configuration.”
The rack design follows strict engineering principles: heavy components placed low for stability; power and signal cables separated to reduce interference; vent blockers and thermostatically controlled ventilation for effective cooling; component spacing to promote airflow and enable easy maintenance; and removable side panels, hinged rear doors and blank panels for a neat finish. Extra conduit paths and spare cabling were also installed for future system expansion, ensuring the home’s infrastructure will remain flexible as technology evolves.
“Upon project completion, clients are introduced to ZIOCare,” adds Shipp. “This customisable support programme offers varying response time and services such as preventative maintenance, updates, remote assistance and warranty management. This ensures their technology investment continues to perform throughout the lifetime of the system.”
Voice, touch and automated triggers blend invisibly with the architecture in the Modern Lakefront Intelligent Estate, allowing the family to focus on living rather than operating technology. The human-centric lighting synchronises circadian rhythms and enhances wellbeing, while networked AV systems enable effortless entertainment anywhere.
“Overall, the client has been extremely satisfied with the home's systems and our ongoing support,” Shipp concludes. “They have provided glowing recommendations to several who would become future clients.”
"Seamless Wi-Fi coverage and automatic failover protection support the family's management of multiple businesses, online classes and streaming content."
Tech-Spec
Acclaim lighting fixtures
Anthem MRX 540 and MRX 740 8K home theatre receivers
Apple G5-64 4K TVs
AV ProEdge for video distribution
Coastal Source 10.0 three-way Ellipse Bollard speakers
Control4 CORE1 Controller, CORE5 Home Controller, distributed audio, home automation and intercom
ELK M1 for Alarm
James Loudspeaker M1000 Mono 1000W Sub Amplifiers and LCR soundbar
Josh Core J-CR-BLK-100 processor for Josh.ai smart home automation
Josh.ai for voice control
JVC DLA-NZ9 D-ILA projector
Kaleidescape, compact and standard Terra movie servers and Strato C players
Ketra Intelligent Light Fixtures
LG 55 and 65-inch QNED80 UHD TVs and OLED evo G3 4K OLED TVs, 77 and 83-inch
Luma for video surveillance
Luma LUM-220-NVR-16CH-0T Surveillance 220 Series NVR
Lumagen RadiancePro 5348 4K video processor
Lutron Homeworks QSX for Lighting Control and Shading
Middle Atlantic products
Pentair Intellicenter for pool/spa control
Pulse-Eight ProAudio1632 DSP Pre-Amp Audio Matrix
QSC SPA4-100 four channel amplifiers
Roku Ultra streaming players
Samsung Terrace 55-inch wall-mounted TV and Frame Art TVs
Sanus Black Series CILL2-B1 fixed position mount for 37 to 90-inch screens
Sonance VP68 Visual Performance built-in speakers and VPXT6 Extreme Series 6.5-inch Rectangle speakers
Starlink for backup services
Storm Audio ISP ELITE MK3 Immersive Sound processor
Trane for HVAC
Ubiquiti UniFi for networking and Wi-Fi
Ubiquiti UXG-Pro-US security gateways, USW-PRO-48-POE switch, USW-AGGREGATION switch
Wisdom Audio SA-8 2RU amplifiers, SA-3 DSP amplifiers and SA-2 DSP amplifiers; Sage Cinema Line 3, Line 2 speakers, Sage Series ICS7A speakers and S90I in-wall subwoofers
Image credits: Harvey Smith