VIEW POINT
Home AutomationHome Automation has become an indispensable part of many interior design projects. It enables every aspect of the home environment to be controlled for maximum convenience, comfort and security. A custom installed lighting system can greatly improve the ambience of a home. Lighting can be preset to create ‘scenes’ to suit various situations, such as reading, watching TV, or entertaining guests. Control extends beyond each room to the whole house, so that all lights can be controlled from master points, such as main entrance and master bedside. In addition, the system can mimic occupancy when the owners are away, and activate lighting on signal from a security system. Lighting systems can also control other devices such as motorised curtains or blinds, skylight windows, fireplaces and automatic gates. Entertainment systems providing multi-room music, home cinema and distributed TV and DVD movies can be controlled in each room via simple-to-use handheld or inwall touch panels. Lifting mechanisms can be installed, which enable audiovisual equipment, such as plasma televisions, to be revealed out of cabinetry and concealed when not in use. Speakers can be freestanding, built into joinery, or flushmounted into walls or ceilings, and specified to deliver anything from background sound to full-on digital theatre surround sound. In addition to lighting and entertainment systems, whole house control can interface with building management to adjust heating and cooling levels, as well as security systems to monitor and control door entry, and view exterior deterrent or interior covert CCTV cameras. Such camera systems can also be monitored remotely over the Internet. A centralised datacoms network is typically run throughout the home to provide connectivity for digital phone systems and computer networking, with additional secured wireless connectivity options. All home automation circuitry and hardware is neatly stored out of sight, and digital media, such as photos, video and music, stored on a central server. Interior design detailing is carried across all elements, ensuring the look and feel of screens, speakers and control devices is aesthetically pleasing. Red Square Creative Consultants, in association with D&T Electronics, provides fully integrated home automation solutions. In addition to designing and installing home automation systems, D&T Electronics offers full technical support and ongoing maintenance. Systems are designed with great attention to both the client’s immediate and future requirements, allowing for expansion or upgrade, and the customised control interfaces are finalised as an iterative process with direct involvement of the client. Download this view point as a pdf: Home Automation.pdf
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