Motorized shading solutions are becoming a staple for offering privacy for residents in high-rises. Units typically have vast exposures of glass to allow natural light in, which also diminishes privacy for the occupants. That was exactly the case for homeowners and guests in the Austin Proper Hotel and Residences in Austin, Texas, where units starting at $800,000 offer a modern, luxury high-rise living experience.
To bring a high-tech shading solution, along with a full smart home living experience, the property developers worked with Austin-based custom integration firm AV Automation. Founded by Screen Innovations co-founder Aaron Reilly, AV Automation offers solutions from top brands, including Control4, Savant and Hunter Douglas.
AV Automation began its smart home amenity offering for the 98 units with Savant lighting and temperature solutions before moving onto the shading.
After securing the right to offer homeowners smart home and shade upgrades to their properties, which were designed by Handel Architects, with interior designs by Kelly Wearstler, AV Automation started work on customized window treatments for their clients’ windows.
“On past projects, we had some struggles with shade suppliers to get product stocked. In a project like Austin Proper, time and reliability are critical,” states Reilly. “These homes were closing quickly, and we needed a company that we could count on.”
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Hunter Douglas Solves Austin Proper’s Shade Dilemma with Style
After evaluating the needs of its clients within the property, AV Automation chose to use Hunter Douglas PowerView products to meet users’ shading requirements.
With windows ranging in size from 108 inches to 136 inches, the integration company decided to use Hunter Douglas because of its choice of shade styles, fabric, color and size options. The PowerView product line also provides the ability to create triggered scene integration to help AV Automation program custom schedules that align with homeowners’ smart home needs.
“Once we saw the quality and the size of the shades, we knew that Hunter Douglas could keep up with the demand for the 99 installations,” notes Thomas Patton, director of sales and system design at AV Automation. “PowerView stood out as the solution for seamless integration with Savant.”
Keeping its processes as streamlined and efficient as possible, AV Automation utilized Hunter Douglas’ online portal to place the orders for the job while working on the property and other projects.
On the largest windows in the units, AV Automation deployed Hunter Douglas Designer Screen Shades, which offer light filtering during the day and privacy at night. Those products also provided Austin Proper owners with lots of shade and style choices to complement their residences.
“Hunter Douglas’s reputation preceded themselves,” comments Reilly. “When people are spending at this level, they expect premium service. The support and fast communication from Hunter Douglas helped us meet these demands.”
In addition to the smart home technologies, the 98 Austin Proper residences and penthouses include high-end amenities such as marble countertops, oak floors and wine storage.
Patton stresses the Hunter Douglas products complement the properties’ elegant, natural decor through their ability to hide and raise when needed.
Moreover, the automation capabilities of the properties smart home products eliminates the need for homeowners to manually adjust their shades throughout the day through Savant’s scheduling options or the control options that are available via the Hunter Douglas PowerView app.
“You always know the size and quality of a company by their customer service,” says Patton. “Top-notch service from Hunter Douglas allowed us to provide top-notch service to our clients,” adds Reilly.
More news from Hunter Douglas: Hunter Douglas PowerView+ Hardwired Shade Control
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