06.03.2008 — Just when you thought custom electronics had made its way into every room of the house (not to mention outdoor spaces), Niles, Ill.-based Baumeister Electronic Architects found another.

You guessed it: the garage.

"Garages are definitely on their way to becoming the ultimate male sanctuary," says Mike Johnston, system designer.

He says many guys like to listen to music through high-performance audio and watch sports on a good video system while working in the garage. Garages with audio and video also make logical extensions to whole-house control systems, Johnston adds.

The next time Baumeister needs to showcase its garage integration ability, it can show clients pictures of "Garage Mahal" -- that's what they call a 6,000-square-foot garage located at an amateur racing track at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill.

At the Autobahn, members get to race their cars on a real track, and several members own garages on the property. A builder of one of the garages, Patrick Lee of Gary, Ind.-based Lee Construction, enlisted Baumeister to provide his clients with an entertainment and control system along with cameras on the roof.

"At first we thought the camera was for security, but we finally realized it was for watching the track," says John Baumeister, owner.

The cameras are just the tip of the iceberg. On the first floor are the garage and the office. There's a second floor with a 1,200-square-foot living space complete with living room, kitchen and two bedrooms.

The most challenging aspect of the installation, according to Johnston, was finding space to store components. "There was a need to be creative."

Technology includes a 42-inch plasma with Artisan speakers, a Denon receiver, Crestron Adagio control and multiroom audio, ReQuest hard-drive media server and SpeakerCraft in-ceiling and on-wall speakers.

"This garage has the most advanced technology of any garage at the course," says Lee.

That could change. Baumeister says he has been working with the builder that does most of the garages on the site. He expects to take on a few more garage projects, perhaps as the racing enthusiasts engage in one-upmanship.

"Each one wants it bigger and better," Baumeister says.