Many Star Wars and Star Trek fans dream of one day stepping foot into the world they've watched grow around them for decades. Dreaming wasn't good enough for one California homeowner, so he reached out to local integration company ZettaComm and integrator Shawnon Parkinson to help make his dreams a reality.
ZettaComm needed some help along the way, so Parkinson got in touch with renown California architect Malika Junaid of M.Designs Architects to create a fusion of technology and design realistic enough to make any sci-fi fan double take.
Parkinson installed an Elan gSC10 as the master controller, supported by a g1 controller to help automate every facet of the luxury home, including climate, audio, video, security, lighting, and well as control of the indoor pool and jacuzzi.
The home’s various A/V elements could be accessed using a custom-mounted Elan 12-inch touchpanel, wall-mounted touch panels and multiple mobile devices equipped with the Elan App.
Junaid had the intention to 'push the envelope' both with technology and architecture, resulting in a unique collaborative process between her and Parkinson.
For example, she designed an airplane hangar door that opened up to a beautiful hillside and valley view; an indoor pool lined with a tile replica of a segment of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel painting; a catwalk that runs over the pool and leads to a “Star Trekian” dining room table that allows for both an indoor and outdoor dining experience; and even an air-pressurized elevator that “shoots” riders up to the third floor.
“There were a lot of innovative design elements that we needed to integrate the with Elan system to truly deliver the seamlessness that she was looking for,” Parkinson explains.
“The installation was certainly a challenge, but thanks to the system’s flexibility, we were able to get very creative with the install and really show off the full capabilities of the system.”
Keeping the Holodeck Secure With Elan Surveillance
In addition to automating unique elements throughout the home, Parkinson was tasked with building out a sophisticated yet seamless security system to span the entire property.
“Security was a major priority for Junaid and the decision to go with the new Elan Surveillance camera line was an easy one,” says Parkinson.
ZettaComm also installed a GoControl Smart Controller for secure and easy operation of the garage door opener, and relied on Xantech EX Series HDMI cables provide the necessary high-speed connections for all the home’s 4K multimedia security sources.
For entertainment, Parkinson installed Niles CM8PR and CM7SI in-ceiling speakers inside, with a Sunfire HRSIW8AMP subwoofer amp and a Crown Cdi 2 | 600 to power Niles Landscape Series speakers, creating a 360-degree outdoor audio experience.
ZettaComm also configured the Elan system to control a Star Wars-themed Kaleidescape home theater room with a slick custom “movie mode” scene that dims the lights, sconces, stairs and LED behind the screen.
Parkinson outfitted the theater with stretched HD Acoustic Images absorption paneling that look and act like movie posters, but have special acoustic properties. The theater’s power conditioning is handled by the Furman IT-Reference 20i Power Conditioner.
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Throughout the rest of the home, ZettaComm integrated a sophisticated dual-lighting system with Lutron to control and automate lighting throughout the entire property.
To protect the whole-home system, they installed multiple BlueBOLT-enabled Panamax power protection units, including the SM3-PRO, MB1500, VT4315-Pro and the M4000-Pro.
Along with the power and surge protection it affords, Junaid likes the flexibility of being able to perform remote hard reboots and remote monitoring of network status.
“This install went really smoothly and the collaborative process working with Junaid was such a pleasurable experience,” says Junaid.
“We were able to get an amazing amount of work done in a short amount of time and it all turned out just as Junaid envisioned.”
And Junaid echoed the thoughts from the architect and homeowner perspective, saying: “Technology and design, when paired well together, can create the ultimate living experience in today’s connected culture. Working with ZettaComm and Elan, I knew the possibilities were limitless.”
