Smart Technology for Architects

The way we live and work is changing constantly. Encouraged and driven forward by concurrent progress and the accessibility of technology, this constant change also influences the way architects and designers think about modern living spaces.

The building that thinks: modern architecture combines design and technology at the highest level to make home living even more comfortable and convenient. (Photo: Lance Anderson on Unsplash)

The smart home: no longer a futuristic fantasy

Flexible working, digital nomads, co-working spaces and co-living accommodation are markets that are expected to keep growing, so that the boundaries between spaces for living, working and relaxation adapt accordingly and become increasingly blurred. Much of this is still in the early stages, but connectivity and automation are definitely gaining more and more ground. From concepts involving virtual reality to construction using robots to controlling the household with a smartphone, the smart home has the potential to improve many users’ quality of life.

Dot Architects have come up with a particularly innovative approach in this field. As early as 2017, they built an entirely smart home called Baitasi House of the Future, an experimental tiny house in the historic Hutong district in Beijing. Moveable modules in the house are controlled via a smart TV and can be shifted around to create four different basic layouts, which, among other options, allows the entire space to be transformed from living accommodation with three bedrooms into a small office, and vice-versa. The façade can even be opened up to connect the living area with the outdoors. Some of the transforming pieces of furniture and other parts of the house have to be put together manually, but the process is largely automated.

The layout of the house is partly inspired by the architects’ conviction “that the boundaries between home and society are being blurred by the rise of the sharing economy, working nomads and technology.” This is placing new demands on living spaces—demands that can no longer be met by conventional, static layouts.

With the SmartSauna by Klafs, you can switch on the sauna from anywhere and relax as soon as you get home. (photo: KLAFS).

Smart-home solutions on a smaller scale

There’s no doubt that a fully networked, thinking house comes at a cost. But smart home applications can be incorporated on a smaller scale during the planning stages too. Lighting specialist Bega has developed lights that can be controlled via an app and allow indoor and outdoor areas to blend into one. The resulting interplay of the lighting breaks through physical boundaries and visually extends the indoor space. Klafs is combining the smart home with comfort and convenience at the highest level. The company has developed a sauna that you can switch on while you’re still out and about. The settings for temperature, humidity and lighting can be controlled by voice using Amazon’s Echo Dot. Equally compelling are the innovative products by Biffar. The company specialises in doors and windows and is tackling one of homeowners’ biggest concerns – break-ins. Biffar’s smart doors can be opened by touching a fingerprint sensor, and the digital door viewer enables the area around the door to be monitored on an iPad or smartphone.

How the interior design and construction industry can benefit

Lighting systems, sound systems and surveillance cameras that can be controlled via an app can also be fitted in existing properties. The market for smart home technologies is growing constantly and offers a wide range of solutions that can be controlled wirelessly through a smartphone. However, customers often have concerns about security against hackers. Comprehensive systems that are integrated into the planning right from the start can help alleviate those concerns, as they transmit signals via special cables, which are installed in the walls or floors so that they are almost invisible. Unlike wireless systems, these systems transmit data exclusively via a home server, rather than over WiFi, and therefore an external server. In addition to security, smart home systems that have been incorporated from the outset offer other benefits:

• 1. A wireless infrastructure reduces the number of visible plug sockets and switches needed. This enhances the aesthetic appeal of the home and eliminates the need to consider plug socket placement when arranging furnishings, allowing more scope for creativity in interior design.

• 2. Intelligent homes autonomously adapt to different conditions, automatically closing the blinds on hot summer days or creating ventilation at certain temperatures. This gives architects more flexibility when designing indoor and outdoor spaces.

• 3. Since the home’s functions can be controlled from anywhere, the room layout can be more flexible. Instead of placing one room at the centre, the rooms and functions merge with one another.

Since the home’s functions can be controlled from anywhere, the room layout can be more flexible. Instead of placing one room at the centre, the rooms and functions merge with one another.

Accessible living with intelligent technology

The rise of intelligent technologies is often met with disparaging comments about how lazy people have become. Surely we can open doors, switch on the lights or television, or adjust the curtains with our own two hands. But we’re quick to forget that not everyone is physically able to do those things. In a world where so much is designed for young, healthy people, traditional concepts – from floor plans to kitchen sinks – exclude a considerable proportion of the population. However, the alternative has been perfectly possible for some time now. By integrating automated processes, sensor technology and artificial intelligence, architects and the interior design industry can expand their customer base. This intelligent approach proactively includes the whole of society while at the same time opening up new distribution channels – and making retrofitting in order to meet the needs of older people unnecessary in many cases.

Seizing opportunities with smart approaches

The potential of intelligent solutions is obviously huge, so it is a smart move to integrate them right from the construction planning stage. After all, not only do smart home applications make day-to-day home living more convenient and secure, they also enable living spaces to be used in new, more flexible ways. If the interior design and construction sectors adopt a common approach in this domain, in future every home can become a thinking system.

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Original Article from IMM Cologne’s Magazine Archive

We’re Now in Florida and West Indies

We have some very exciting news to share today... in an effort to further diversify the expanding luxury residential and business markets, we are now in Florida and the West Indies.

Our mission is simple; to improve the lives of our clients by providing them with personalized and exceptional experiences, as well as dependable and innovative new technology for their homes and businesses.

When Premiere Systems of Chicago and Naples, and SAV Digital Environments of Bozeman, Montana announced the formation of a joint venture in Jackson, WY, our vision to develop and continue producing the best home automation and audio/video experiences imaginable has now brought us to Florida and the West Indies. Over the last two decades, Premiere Systems and SAV Digital Environments have assembled teams of distinctive, creative, and original professionals that not only embody method and design, but also comprehend the need of unwavering customer care. The outcome is a team with over 150 members distributed amongst the various locations.

A Guide to Cord Cutting

The focus of this guide is to provide a simple overview of cord cutting for a typical consumer.

What is cord cutting?

• Cord cutting means discontinuing TV service by a cable or satellite provider, and instead relying exclusively on internet-based streaming video services.

Why should I cut the cord?

• Performance: cable boxes cannot offer the audio and video quality of Roku and AppleTV media players, such as high resolution HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio.

• Reliability: cable boxes frequently freeze up, generate a lot of heat, respond unpredictably to fluctuations in the incoming cable signal, and have limited controls such that it is difficult to even make sure they are turned on when needed.

• Serviceability: cable boxes require bulky and interference-prone coaxial cable to work, while Roku and AppleTV only require a wired or wireless internet connection. Issues with cable service almost always require scheduling a cable company technician to visit, while network issues can usually be resolved quickly and remotely.

• Simplicity: The Roku and AppleTV menus and user experience are identical no matter your ZIP code. They can also easily be tucked behind a TV without complicated AV switching and extending devices.

• Long Term Cost: while the overall monthly cost of streaming services vs traditional cable service is similar, cable boxes must be individually leased every month, and there is a higher cost associated with replacing and troubleshooting the numerous accessories associated with cable boxes over time.

How do I get the channels I’m used to on cable?

• While there are dozens of streaming services that cater to every imaginable interest, here are a few of our favorites for watching live TV content:

  • DirecTV Stream – top recommendation: nearly identical channel lineup as traditional DirecTV satellite service, and offers enhanced features for finding and viewing live sports

  • Hulu+

  • YouTube TV

  • FuboTV

What about sports?

• Each of the live TV services listed above has access to in-market games that are broadcast on local network channels, as well as sports-focused channels such as ESPN and Fox Sports.

• On-demand and out-of-market games can be streamed via the app for that sport.

  • NFL Sunday Ticket

  • NBA TV League Pass

  • MLB.TV

  • ESPN+ (includes NHL, UFC, and many more)

I’ve got a lot of TVs. Will I run into any issues?

• Not with live streaming, but you will encounter issues with some on demand content and out-of-market sports. Nearly all streaming services have a limit to how many streams can be active at once, typically less than 5. DirecTV, Hulu, and YouTube support up to 20 simultaneous streams if all the devices are connected to the home network – so you could have 20 players each watching a different DirecTV channel at the same time in a large home.

• The sports apps in particular are very restrictive, allowing 1-2 simultaneous streams. If a low stream limit is problematic, the best option is to include a video distribution system in the home, which can send the single AppleTV or Roku video output to multiple TVs at the same time.

• Internet bandwidth considerations: a single stream requires an average 8Mbps download speed – 20 active streams would consume on average a sustained 160Mbps download speed, in addition to the other network endpoints in a home such as laptops and tablets. 4K streams, where available, can consume 25Mbps each.

Roku or AppleTV?

• For most people, Roku

  • It has a nearly identical feature set to AppleTV, including access to the Apple TV+ streaming service and can be configured as an Airplay endpoint

  • Reliable control with 2-way feedback via the network

  • Discrete commands for launching apps from the home automation system. For example the “Cable TV” button on your remote can launch directly into the DirecTV Stream app, instead of the main home screen menu that shows all of the apps. This is a more familiar experience to people who are accustomed to cable boxes

• The primary reason to go with an AppleTV player is if you are already using the advanced Siri and Homekit features that are exclusive to Apple

Stepping Up Your Service

White-glove treatment requires dedicated staff and clear-cut processes — is it right for your business?

BY Carolyn Heinze
Published: August 15, 2022

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Photos by Paul Warchol

Logic dictates that customers who invest five or six figures (or more) in residential technology are going to expect impeccable service. Whether that’s in the form of bi-annual maintenance calls, 24/7 remote servicing, or same-day, on-site repair, AV and custom installation companies need to follow well-defined best practices in order to remain profitable.

Premiere SAV, based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is a partnership formed by residential AV integrators/custom installers Premiere (out of Chicago, Ill., and Naples, Fla.) and SAV Digital Environments (in Bozeman, Mont.). Dave Harriff, COO at Premiere SAV, notes that providing VIP service requires a dedicated department staffed with people who are skilled in handling what are, at times, delicate situations.

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“You’ve got to have a customer service manager who really understands your mission and what it means to respond to customers,” says Harriff. Many times, when customers call to report an issue, they’re concerned that, for example, their dinner party is going to be ruined because of a system failure. The customer service manager’s job is to provide reassurance that this will not be the case. The same, he says, applies to the service technicians on site. “You’ve got to have highly skilled technical people who are not only solving problems but understand how to interface with VIP-level customers. Because if you’re not inspiring confidence while on-site, that’s not helping the customer feel like we’re really working for them and that we’re on their team.”

This means recruiting people with the soft skills that apply to delivering top-notch service, Scott Abel, director of quality at Premiere SAV, notes. “It’s about finding the right individuals who are devoted and motivated to really provide that service,” he says.

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Cyber Group, headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., comprises four main divisions: technology, network services, electric, and shading and lighting. Jonathan McNabb, director of technology, explains that the firm offers a full roster of VIP services, including on-site party attendants when clients are hosting an event at their home (and who want a technician present to make sure the systems run smoothly). He recounts that the company’s client services department is made up of 10 team members, including a client service manager, client service coordinator, a help desk agent, and seven client service representatives who, he says, each have at least 20 years of industry experience. “Years ago, there was a stigma around client services or just service — it was where old techs went to die,” he says. “Frankly, we’re shaking that up. I look for people and skillsets that are sharpened to troubleshoot and effectively resolve system issues on-site, and we groom them to work with the clientele.” These skills are largely different, he adds, from those required of a field technician charged with installing equipment in a new, as yet uninhabited, home.

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Established in 2008, ATI is a residential AV and custom installer based in North Salt Lake, Utah (with a showroom in Park City, Utah). Ben Ray, founder and principal, explains that the firm offers several different-tiered service plans, as well as service that is billed per call. He relays that, as the company grew, it was necessary for him to make some changes in order to successfully deliver VIP service. “We had gotten to a point where we had one service manager and other project managers dealing with the brunt of customer service calls themselves, both after hours and during business hours,” he says. “We had to re-examine how we were doing things and structure it to where we had the people in place to make sure that we could provide great customer service, and not have it sacrifice the employees’ daily lives.”

This involved automating some processes through the deployment of ticketing software, explains Manny Barboza, service department manager at ATI. Whereas clients previously contacted their sales rep or project manager directly (individuals who are often working on-site at other customers’ residences and are therefore unable to respond right away), this system streamlines workflow by ensuring that tickets are sent to service technicians or help desk personnel that can respond immediately. “Automation has helped a lot just because the ticket goes to the right people who will take care of it,” he says. He adds that the system also provides a technical track record: if data shows that a client’s system needs re-booting on a weekly basis, for example, it’s clear that there is a larger issue that requires attention.

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Electronic Environments is a residential AV and custom installation firm with locations in New York, N.Y., and The Hamptons. Kim Michels, CEO, explains that while the company offers tiered service agreements (same day or next-day service at the latest), all clients receive same-day remote troubleshooting. “I would say that 90 percent of our issues can be resolved remotely — it’s something we manage very well to really make all of our clients VIPs,” he says.

While all clients may be VIPs, every company has a finite number of service technicians to deploy when a problem can’t be solved remotely. For calls that require on-site servicing, Michels says he and his employees work with clients to determine the urgency of the situation. “If you have an urgent need, then I’m going to find a way to take care of that urgent need. If it’s not an urgent need, then I do rely on my clients expressing that,” he says.

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In many cases, customers will call with an issue, but convey that they can wait a day or two for it to be solved. Michels attributes this flexibility to relationship-building: “Not everything is a five-alarm fire, and I find that if you always come through for clients when the situation is important or desperate, then they work with you and they volunteer when the situation is not desperate and not urgent,” he says. “We’re working together, and that’s very important.”

In order for VIP service offerings to remain profitable, residential AV and custom installers need to be diligent about recording both remote and on-site calls, Ray points out. “You need to make sure that you’re billing everything, [and] make sure that the service ticket is in the system, and it’s being tracked,” he says. If this process isn’t in place — and it’s not regularly reiterated to employees — companies will wind up giving a lot of work away for free. “We’re constantly reminding [our employees], ‘Hey, if somebody calls, it needs to be a service ticket.’” For organizations that are new to this process, it may require some adaptation, but he underlines that this is crucial to the bottom line.

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For Harriff, residential AV and custom installation firms should not launch and promote VIP service offerings until they are fully prepared to support them. “One of the worst things that can happen is if you set parameters for a service like this and then you can’t deliver it,” he warns. “Before rolling out any new initiative related to VIP service, we try to carefully walk our way through all of the [potential] outcomes — the details — and make sure that we’re geared up from a documentation and personnel perspective, and that we have the resources to fully support it.”

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Taking The Indoors Outside

A look at the many products taking outdoor spaces up a notch

By Chris Smith, The CoTeam
Connected Design

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Photo by Aaron Kraft

As I write this I am sitting in Jackson Hole, Wyo., it is snowing – making it hard to believe that it’s nearly spring! As the snow melts and the flowers begin to bloom, it’s time to begin enjoying our outdoor spaces. Pools are being readied for the season, BBQ’s are being scrubbed clean and awaiting that sizzle, and outdoor furniture is emerging from hibernation topped with cushions. What are we missing? The outdoor technology that makes it all that much better!

The options for music, movies, lighting, shading and network connectivity are just as plentiful in outdoor spaces as they are indoor. Special consideration, materials and placement are all required when using technology outdoors. When done correctly, it is possible to achieve amazing results with beautiful aesthetics.

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Photo by Paul Warchol

Music Anywhere

While it is still possible to buy a “rock speaker,” why would you? They don’t even look like rocks! Instead, take a look at the fantastic landscape systems by James and Sonance. The speakers look like landscape lights and come in various finishes to match the styling of your outdoor space. They can be mounted in planters or hung like pendants from the trellis. The bass portion of the speaker is buried in-ground and out of sight. These systems scale infinitely, allowing for coverage of even the largest spaces. Another outdoor music favorite is the Bollard line from Coastal Source. It’s a different approach than landscape, and the sound is impeccable. For the price conscious, the team at Sonos have made battery-powered options like the Move and Roam. Think about it like owning one lightbulb and taking it room to room.

Movies by Moonlight (or Sunlight!)

Outdoor entertainment is not limited to music. When you want to turn your backyard into a sports haven or watch movies by the pool, there are more options than ever. The great folks at Seura have multiple options for bringing the viewing experience outdoors year-round! For areas that are sheltered they have a more affordable approach and when the display must compete in direct sunlight, they have a premium UltaBright range. For the cost-no-object solution, look no further than C-Seed. This massive screen hides underground and emerges like a missile launching before unfolding in truly theatrical fashion. It’s one of those products where watching it operate might be just as cool as what you are watching on it.

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Photo by Audrey Hall

Light The Night

Once you have experienced proper landscape lighting you will never go without. The lighting products by Coastal Source are beautiful solid brass objects but what they bring to your outdoor space in a visual capacity is truly magical. What you choose to shine light on and how makes all the difference. The layering that can be achieved with illuminating the structures, foliage, pathways, decking, stairs, water features, etc. is nothing short of stunning. You’ll need a specialist to help you achieve the desired effect, but it’s well worth it.

A Shade Above

Sometimes we need a bit of a break from the sun. Outdoor shading options allow for much needed respite from the rays – and also the bugs! Exterior living spaces can be open on multiple sides and, with the push of a button, immediately screened in. The ability to still have the breeze and sunlight fill a space comes with the added benefit of reducing UV exposure and protecting you from insects. These can also be integrated with wind sensors to raise and protect the shades in heavy wind or hurricanes.

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Photo by Doug Burke

Connect Anywhere

In an “always on” world, it is necessary to have access to the internet - everywhere. Besides, how would we get the kids to join us outside if we didn’t have rock solid internet in the backyard? Solutions from Ruckus and the network nerds at Access Networks allow you to have the same great speeds and reliability outside that you have grown accustomed to inside. These products can be concealed and placed to provide seamless “hopping” as you navigate throughout a property both inside and out.

I have been around consumer technology for twenty years, and I can honestly say that the current crop (pun very much intended) of outdoor technology solutions has never been better. The qualitative performance is unparalleled while the design aspects of finish, materials and concealment are nothing short of beautiful. Enjoy time outside with all of the comforts of inside.

Chris Smith is the Principal and Founder of TheCoTeam. Bringing 20 years of industry experience to the custom installation space, they Coach | Consult | Collaborate with integrators and manufacturers to solve problems and run a more efficient business. www.TheCoTeam.com