When initially designing an exquisite 12,500 square foot home in central London, the homeowners knew that they needed an automation system to keep the large residence operating smoothly at all times, regardless of where they happened to be in the world. London technology integration firm Your Smart Home accepted the challenge to create a robust control system that was as reliable as it was easy to use. After viewing the scope of the home, the firm immediately suggested an ELAN Entertainment & Control System for the job.
“The house took two years to build,” Will Hopkins, Managing Director at Your Smart Home, explained. “We custom designed the automation wiring and end functionality from the ground up to provide the backbone of a system that would run seamlessly throughout the home. When the home went on the market, Lord Stanley Fink (philanthropist and former CEO and deputy Chairman of Man Group Plc), alongside his wife, Barbara, purchased the residence.”
Today, the four-story home relies on three ELAN controllers to manage the entire residence, including the basement, indoor/outdoor garden, cinema, gym, sauna, steam room, party room, outdoor courtyard, and everywhere in between. “We had a basic smart home in Spain,” Lord Fink explained. “However, it was difficult to operate remotely, and offered a much more limited scope than the ELAN system we now have in London.”
With more than 800 lighting fixtures throughout the property, being able to easily operate the lighting through the ELAN system was a must. Your Smart Home installed 200 Vimar KNX lighting dimmers in custom-built enclosures, all connected to the ELAN system, so that Lord Fink and his wife can operate the lights with just the touch of a button via a mobile device, in-wall touch panel or one of the home’s three ELAN remote controls. “We are able to change the lighting pattern inside of the home to make it look lived-in while we’re away thanks to ELAN’s automated programming and remote-control functionality,” Fink stated.
When the Finks are home, many of the light sources are triggered by movement in the communal areas. Within the party room, ELAN automates the lights so that they turn on when the indoor elevator opens. “With hundreds of lighting circuits and artistically designed themes, we enabled an ELAN sensor feed to activate the lighting in key areas with movement,” Hopkins explained. “It really provides a ‘wow’ touch to the home’s recreational spaces. With the intelligence of ELAN, we’re able to make this work in a smart, practical way.”
The lighting system also extends outside to include the intricate courtyard fountains. Based on the time of day, the lights turn on and off and autonomously orchestrate interaction between the lighting and the water. “At sunset, all of the external lights automatically come on,” Hopkins explained.
For entertainment, two ELAN multi-room audio controllers divide the home into 12 zones of audio, supported by an array of dedicated amplifiers for rooms with enhanced audio features. Audio zones include the kitchen, living room, basement and in-home theater equipped with a JVC X35 Projector and multiple amplifiers for a superior viewing experience. Outside of the theater, the homeowners and their guests can watch their favorite movies and TV shows through Sky, Apple TV or their Kaleidescape media server – via a custom driver created by ELAN Development Partner, Intrinsic Dev – on one of the 14 Samsung LED TVs custom built into the home’s walls, or on either of the two mirror TVs discretely hidden in the property.
To protect the entire technology investment, Your Smart Home incorporated two Furman F1500 power conditioners with battery backup into the rack. This ensures that if there is a power surge, lightning strike, or other power issue, the home automation system will not be damaged. Additionally, if the system needs to be rebooted, Hopkins and his team can complete this task remotely through the F1500’s BlueBOLT® remote energy management interface.
With so much equipment installed in the residence, Your Smart Home worked closely with the interior designer to ensure that the home was aesthetically pleasing and was not visually cluttered with an abundance of technology. “To complement the home’s style, we recessed all of the televisions and speakers into the walls and ceilings, making them completely flush,” Hopkins explained. “To do this, we created custom-built glass frames for both the TVs and speakers. Additionally, in the theater, we had to customize the screen to fit into the interior designer’s vision.”
According to Lord Fink, the large home has a rather unusual open floor plan. “The home is in a great location and is very spacious,” he continued. “Through ELAN, it’s also very easy to operate great audio visuals across more than 12 rooms from one location.”
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