Boston Suburbs Luxury Home

       For this 16,000 square foot new construction home, ACT designed, installed and integrated a home control system; distributed video with 26 zones; distributed audio with 27 zones; climate control; a surveillance system; a computer network; a driveway sensor; a lightning protection system and a doorphone/camera system.

Already Apple users, the family mastered the Savant Systems control system quickly. They can use their existing iPhones and iPads to control the electronics, which can also be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world.

This project included some fun, unique features. Two televisions are installed behind media mirrors – one in a bar area and the other in the master bathroom. Televisions in matching, custom wood frames are installed on both sides of a double fireplace. The great room’s TV was installed on a lift and hides in a cabinet when not in use. A custom home movie theater provides a fun place to gather for family movie night. Hidden wireless thermostats connect with temperature sensors tucked throughout the home to keep the walls clear.

ACT also integrated a few outdoor features with the control system. The family can use the Savant system to control the swimming pool’s heat, fountain and infinity edge waterfall. Doorphones with cameras were installed at the property’s main gate and the home’s main entrance, which allows the family to see who’s at the door and talk with them. ACT also integrated the doorphone’s camera footage with the networked video recorder in case the family needs to see who approached when no one was home. Finally, a driveway sensor alerts the family when a car pulls in the driveway by sounding a chime over the audio system.

The convenience and fun the electronics offer enhances the family’s lifestyle and increases their enjoyment of the home.

       The scope of this project included:
• Install ceiling speakers, wire for and integrate distributed audio in 27 zones
• Install televisions, connect to distributed video system and provide and program remote controls in 22 locations
• Pre-wire four additional video locations
• Wire 14 locations and install data outlets for telephones
• Great Room – install bookshelf speakers, install television on motorized lift that rises out of cabinet. Integrate speakers and television with distributed audio and video systems, provide and program remote control.
• Dedicated Theater – install projector, movie screen, surround sound speakers and receiver. Integrate equipment with distributed video system. Integrate surround sound. Provide and program remote control. Calibrate audio and video.
• Climate Control – provide and install 9 remote temperature sensors and provide 9 wireless thermostats. Integrate climate control with home control system.
• Surveillance cameras – provide and install 7 cameras, connect cameras to networked video recorder and integrate with home control system
• Provide and install driveway sensor
• Provide and install door phone system at the front gate and at the home’s main entrance. Integrate doorphone camera footage with networked video recorder. Integrate doorphone system with Savant home control system.
• Provide and install lightning protection system
• Provide and install equipment rack located in the basement, which will house all system equipment and the home network equipment
• Provide and install a robust wired and wireless network
• Integrate pool controller with home control system
• Pre-wire outdoor terrace for speakers; pre-wire pool area for 4 landscape speakers and 1 in-ground subwoofer; pre-wire pool cabana for television

The homeowners did have some specific requests beyond what’s listed above. Their biggest concern was redundancy because in the past, when part of their system went down, everything went down. They also requested a lightning protection system.

       The systems and components were designed to blend in with the home’s architecture and décor. In addition to reducing wall clutter by hiding thermostats, many TVs were hidden behind mirrors, built into custom cabinetry and niches or surrounded with custom-built frames. All in-ceiling speakers feature thin bezels to help them blend in.

The electronics enhance the family’s lifestyle by offering convenience and fun. Each family member can easily listen to their own music or watch TV with a few swipes of a screen or by using one of the remotes throughout the home. The surveillance system, driveway sensor and doorphones add peace of mind. Wireless access points installed throughout the home ensure strong, consistent coverage.

A few specific customer requirements were addressed. The customer asked for lightning protection, so ACT installed lightning surge isolators, rack mountable surge protectors and power conditioners with surge protection. All of the racks are bonded and surge isolators were put on the wires going between the different buildings.

The customer was also concerned that if one part of the system went down, everything would stop working. ACT took a few measures to address this. Though the home theater can be operated with the control system, it is completely separate from the main system, so if the system goes down, the theater will still work. ACT also designed redundancy into the different systems to protect against hardware failure. If a component dies, the system will kick to the next one, so that the family is never left with something not working.

ACT also enabled remote access to the system and receives notifications if a device goes offline. The network has a self healing feature that reboots individual devices if they are not communicating. If that doesn’t work, ACT can usually fix the issue remotely.