Often, it’s what you can’t see that makes all the magic happen in a smart, automated home. Such was the case with this exceptionally designed, ultra-contemporary and technologically advanced – thanks to local integrator AudioTech – residence in Red Hill, an iconic suburb of Canberra, Australia.

AudioTech’s Sean Linden credits an intense 12-month planning period and the implementation of a high-performance Kordz cabling backbone for the Control4-anchored home’s remarkable post-construction capabilities.

“A stable, reliable, standards-compliant cable and network components are the foundation of every home-tech project we do,” he stresses.

Given the owners’ proclivity for smart, state-of-the-art technology and desire to push the limits of innovation in their newly built home, AudioTech made a point to use cabling that would support every request the homeowners brought to the table.

“Having a long on-ramp of a year or more to plan for a project gave us ample time to collaborate, brainstorm, and conceptualize new applications of the technologies that would be installed,” Linden says.

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Ever-evolving and by no means basic, the tech plan required a cabling foundation that could keep pace and unlock the home’s full technological potential. “The answer,” he says, “was a full suite of Kordz cable and components.”

Smart Home Creativity Inspired via Connectivity

Slab foundations are notoriously unforgiving, yet in this well-planned and -executed project the prewire went without a hitch.

“We spent countless hours with the builder, the architect, and the clients to outline every detail of the prewire.” Linden says. “The right Kordz Cat-6, HDMI, speaker and AV cables terminated at all the right locations provided a backbone on which to integrate a wide variety of subsystems and to push the limits of their performance.”

Certainly, the smart systems integrated into this home provide some very practical benefits (see full equipment list below). Luma surveillance cameras, Lockwood electronic door locks and motorized gates, Inception alarm system, and Control4 intercoms stations, all monitored and managed by a Control4 system, keep tabs on the property.

The owners can quickly assess any situation conveniently whether they’re at home or away from a Control4 app on their smartphones. Also tied to the Snap One brand’s control system are ceiling fans, window shades, and every light fixture inside and out.

As for entertainment, there’s an 4K home theater, multiple displays – some on motorized lifts – and whole-house audio system that spring to life on command from a Control4 remote, touchpanel or mobile app. Every possible subsystem is accounted for and integrated within a single automation platform – making a solid, reliable, fast network not just a nicety but an absolute necessity.  

Kordz Infrastructure Tethers Myriad Subsystems to Control4

The owners and integrators could have put a cap on the project at this point, but they decided to go a few steps further by incorporating some lighthearted features.  

“These clients wanted all the creature comforts of an automation system, but they also wanted to have a little fun with it by including small but charming details,” Linden explains.

This was an easy enough task to accomplish with a few simple tweaks of the Control4 software. The Kordz infrastructure would support the enhancements, too, offering plenty of bandwidth to handle the heaviest of network traffic.

The first demonstration of ease and entertainment happens at the massive motorized front door. Guests who press the intercom button can help but chuckle at the perfectly timed “creaking” sound effects that play as the door swings open.

In the master bedroom, the Star Wars theme song plays while motorized panel doors slide open to reveal a big-screen TV.

“Features like these add a fun twist to technology,” Linden says. “We can’t wait to see what other tricks the owners have up their sleeves. No matter what happens, the house, the technology, the network and our team are ready to deliver.”

AudioTech’s Canberra, Australia, Project Equipment List

Networking

• Kordz Cat6 and speaker cable and inteconnects
• Araknis router, switches, and access points
• Pakedge power rail

Home Theater

• Sony VPL-VW790ES projector
• Dragonfly 165-inch acoustically transparent screen
• Anthem MRX-1140 8K multi-channel receiver
• Triad Silver speakers
• Triad Silver subwoofers

Living Room Media

• Samsung 8K 85-inch TV
• Marantz NR1710 AV receiver
• Paradigm P80-A ceiling speakers

Lighting & Shades

• Control4 lighting control panel
• Control4 keypads
• Somfy motorized shades

Security

• Luma surveillance cameras
• Inception alarm and access control system
• Lockwood Vee electronic door locks
• Control4 DS2 intercom stations
• Motorized, controllable gates and garage doors

Whole-House Audio & Video

• Triad Series 3 ceiling speakers
• Anthem MDX multi-zone amplifier
• Bluestream 4×4 HDMI matrix switch

Climate Control

• Daikin VRV and Cool Master (6 zones)

Other Integrated Systems

• Ceiling fans via Bond Pro
• Beer taps
• Motorized panel to reveal TV

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