Case studies

Period Home Renovation Delivers Ultra-Modern Living (1/3/2006)

By TechniQuest and AMX

A 19th century, four-storey, Grade II listed family home in south-west London has been transformed into one of the most advanced, fully automated residential buildings in the UK. This includes the installation by TechniQuest UK of Wimbledon Village, of a state-of-the-art AMX whole house control system, featuring the latest Modero wireless touch screen panel interfaces.

The £1.5 million refurbishment demanded extensive internal and external renovation work to be undertaken and, as the house is the main home of a young family, the work was undertaken in two phases. Initially, the priority ground, first and second floor levels, comprising the main family living areas and bedrooms, were refurbished. These were followed by the more indulgent basement renovation works, which included the creation of a cinema den, gym, wine cellar and accommodation for household staff.

Requirements

Family security was a key priority of the owners, albeit with the system integrated as discreetly as possible into the fabric of the historic property. The home entertainment systems needed to be robust and functionally intuitive for intensive family use. Similarly, voice and data communications networks needed to be robust and versatile to meet both the immediate and future needs of a growing family.

In common with the majority of TechniQuest's work, the overriding requirement was for a highly refined and architecturally discreet approach to the integration of the various systems, in keeping with the interior design and dˇcor, while retaining the functionality and ease of use of the integrated systems.

Equipment cupboard and AV discs in bedroom

Collaboration

The design for the implementation of the various systems was developed in close collaboration with the client's project architect and structural engineer, and detailed CAD drawings and schedules of works were prepared for the execution of the cabling installations and associated structural works by the main contractor.

Early involvement in the project allowed TechniQuest to design the infrastructure and central equipment areas to achieve optimum performance of each system.

The AMX Modero

Centralising and consolidating control of intruder, CCTV and fire security systems, multiroom audio and video entertainment, lighting, digital telephone system and Internet access, the entire system is operated via wireless hand-held 8.4" AMX Modero MVP-8400 touchscreen panels. These have an easy-to-follow screen display, featuring familiar icon buttons, enabling any user, however new to the system, to operate any device on the network with ease.

Modero MVP touch panel

Built-in security codes can be used to allow varying levels of system access to different users. For example, children can be permitted access to specific entertainment systems and lighting control, but prevented from accessing security system settings.

With the quantity of equipment and potential complexity of the installation, AMX touch screen panels and control solutions were the perfect solution to satisfy the client brief. This was to consolidate integrated systems to a single point of user control for the most versatile and intuitive solution possible.

Security control

The security system includes automated gate and door entry, intruder alarm and CCTV, with video images networked to various TV displays in the house as dedicated television channels. Gate and main entrance images are displayed on TechniQuest's purpose-designed 5.5" LCD panel/voice stations, and can also be relayed to the AMX Modero wireless touch panels via their motion j-peg playback capability. An important dual use of the CCTV cameras is the monitoring of young children at play in the grounds from within the property.

Music and video

Music and video from networked entertainment sources, comprising conventional AV products, as well as hard disk media servers for audio and video storage and retrieval, are relayed to the various viewing and listening rooms located in different areas of house, including the playroom, gym and the purpose-designed basement home theatre. The latter features professional-quality 7.1 channel surround sound and a high definition 50" plasma display.

Basement home theatre den with recessed plasma and speakers

Home theatre

For the home theatre den, a usual layout would see the 50" plasma display above the fireplace - the focal point of the room. However, with TechniQuest's early design input, it was agreed to leave the fireplace wall intact, and instead, to form an internal masonry wall directly opposite. This encloses the plasma display and three front speakers into timber-trimmed structural recesses within the depth of the brickwork - thus leaving the plasma and speaker locations optimised for performance theatre.

The living room

The challenging brief for the main living room was for the provision of a versatile and high-performance TV viewing area and family living area where, for example, the au pair could easily use the system to entertain the youngest children during the day, with the room doubling up as a venue for high-performance home theatre and multichannel audio playback when required. To satisfy this brief, TechniQuest employed Linn Katan floorstanding speakers either side of the front bay of the room, discreet Linn Unik's on high wall brackets at the rear, and a hidden Linn Sizmik active sub speaker. This solution provides an effective means of multichannel playback for TV viewing on an elegant Loewe Spheros LCD display.

Loewe Spheros LCD display and Linn Katan floorstanding speakers

Multiuser broadband Internet

A Cisco-based wireless IT network, with hard-wired and professionally switched Ethernet back up, enables fast and secure internal data transfer and provides a platform for multi-user broadband Internet access. Internet access also facilitates remote control of the home automation system over the Internet using security-protected passwords to, for example, disable the intruder alarm to allow a tradesperson access or simply to set a Sky+ recording while away from home. In addition, this means of remote access also importantly facilitates external systems diagnostics.

Equipment List

AV Entry and CCTV Systems
TechniQuest coded entry panel
TechniQuest internal entry stations with 5.5 colour LCD, voice station and integrated gate control
Sony Professional auto iris CCTV cameras
Panasonic micro board cameras

Ground Floor Primary Surround Sound System
Linn Unidisk 2.1 - Universal DVD Audio/Video, SACD and CD
Sky+
Linn Kisto surround sound controller
Linn 5125 power amplifier
Linn Katan, Ninka, Unik and Sizmik speakers
Loewe Spheros LCD TV

Basement Home Theatre Den
Denon DVD 2900
Sky+
Panasonic plasma media controller
Denon AVC A11 - 7.1 Surround Controller/Amplifier
Celestion surround sound speakers in TechniQuest's stainless steel and American walnut recessed boxes
Panasonic 50" HD plasma display

Multiroom Audio System
Linn Kivor (hard disc archive and retrieval system)
Linn Ikemi (CD)
Linn Pekin (radio tuner)
Linn LK85 and LK140 power amplifiers
8-zone Linn Knekt / Intersekt controller with Linn RCU keypads
Linn Katan, Ninka and Unik speakers
B&W CCM 65 and 80 in-ceiling speakers
Linn Sizmik active sub speakers
Boston Acoustics Voyager (external speakers)

Multimedia Automation/Overall Control System
AMX Netlinx NI-3000 integrated controller
AMX MVP-8400 Modero Viewpoint touch panels
Cisco Aironet Series Router / Firewall, Network Switch and power-injected Wireless Access Points

Lighting Control
Lutron Homeworks Interactive with RS232 interface to AMX controller

www.amx.com
www.techniquest.co.uk