This highly technical and massive renovation on Sydney’s waterfront was completed by Denote over the span of 18 months and features some of the finest residential systems available, including Savant as the overarching control solution for the 13,000-square-foot mansion.
The Savant system controls an extensive Lutron lighting system with over 400 loads and 70 keypads, as well as Lutron motorized binds, drapes, and external motorized screens all along the mansion’s exterior with windows looking out onto the Sydney cityscape.
An ELK Products alarm system integrates over 120 alarm sensors, and the HVAC control integrates over 20 zones of air conditioning and another 27 zones of underfloor heating, fireplaces and external heaters. Full temperature feedback scheduling and control is integrated into the Savant control system.
The mansion’s fresh air reticulation system is automated with the use of an external particulate sensor, which shuts down the air intake when the Sydney air outside is polluted and restarts when the air is clean enough. The swimming pool has DMX color control of the lighting and full control of the jets, also via Savant.
The AV system features 17 zones of stereo audio, three zones of surround sound and nine 4K video zones with tiling. Sonance, James Loudspeaker and Meridian Audio ensure high levels of performance. Savant is also used to distribute the AV across the property via fiber-optic cable.
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The home also features a high-performance active digital Meridian High-Power-Array cinema with laser projection, which also includes a karaoke system, Kaleidescape server and a removable golf simulator (we go into more detail on the home cinema in this article if you want to check that out). The client also has a separate cycle simulation room with custom-designed AV for an immersive experience.
The mansion even has a highly-secured, showroom-ready network and control rack–an absolute necessity given that the homeowner’s line of work often causes him to be targeted by state-sanctioned cyber attacks.
According to Jono Dorset, Denote director, the biggest hurdle on the project was a common one: dealing directly with the client and navigating working with the builder.
“They were very resistant to our involvement initially,” Dorsett says. “Once we had progressed and they could see the level of our management and workmanship, this relationship shifted; we now work with this team on subsequent projects.”
Another challenge was the time zone difference. The client was living in Chicago at the time of the Sydney mansion’s construction and was also building another luxury home in Utah being handled by another integrator. Both companies had to work together to ensure consistency between control of the two homes, and it’s safe to say the coordination deserved the award-winning kudos based on the remarkable result.
Systems & Equipment
- Savant control systems
- Fortinet networking products
- Lutron systems
- Axis Communications security products
- Sony TVs
- ELK Products alarm system
- James Loudspeaker, Monitor Audio speakers
This project is part of our coverage for the 2023 CE Pro Home of the Year Awards. Presented annually at CEDIA Expo, the Home of the Year Awards represent the best of the best smart home innovations within the CEDIA channel. If you have a project you would like to submit to the Home of the Year Awards, stay tuned for our next round of submissions.
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