Villa, Greece

A Minimalistic Oasis

Automation Services

Intelligent Control

Lighting

Audio & Video

Blinds & Curtains

Home Cinema

Climate Control

Network & Data

Safety & Security

Project Brief

This 7500 sqft villa was built on three levels with high-quality modern materials. Among the features, a dedicated home cinema with pool window, a lavish swimming pool with whirlpool and reverse-flow function, a huge garage and a separate area that houses three racks of technical equipment. The building services include underfloor heating, automatic air conditioning, a central vacuum system and cleverly devised lighting plans. Moreover, it has a sophisticated security system and automatic irrigation system for the garden. Advanced Integration was asked to design the dedicated home cinema, automate as many functions as possible and make everything easy to control.

Project Outcome

We carefully surveyed the space to identify opportunities for automation. For example, we installed 6 motorized TV mounts and 2 electric lifts by Future Automation for flexible positioning and maximum convenience. All of these can be operated from our system, together with the rest of the functions. Many sensors were installed throughout the property both indoor (e.g. for lighting) and outdoor (e.g. for light and weather). Twelve independent music zones and 11 video zones were created, each with multiple sources (7 audio and 7 video). Two multi-zone amplifiers were also used to ensure optimal performance and 6 waterproof speakers were installed outdoor.

For the dedicated home cinema, Advanced Integration handled all the steps, from the overall study and design to the selection and installation of the audio and video equipment. Among the features, a 2.35:1 screen with 16:9 masking and a projector mount by Chief with keyed locking for the Sony projector.

Besides the option to control the automation system via iPhone or iPad, we installed 26 easy-touch keypads and six touchscreens. Each keypad can be used to control the lighting (132 lighting zones in total) and operate blinds and curtains. Music controls can also be accessed by pressing specific keys twice. For easier understanding, the colour of the LEDs in the keypads changes when the mode is switched between lighting and music.

The touchscreens, among other functions, are linked to the video intercom system to allow easy checking of the outdoor cameras, communication with visitors and remote control of the door. This is also possible when not at home, thanks to a notification sent to the owner’s iPhone. On top of that, the touchscreens show technical information (e.g. oil level in the fuel oil tank, saturation level of the pool filters etc.) and provide access to the status of all relevant parameters of the home automation system, organized in individual zones and showing relevant pictures where appropriate for intuitive understanding. Site plans are used as well, for granular control of lighting, heating/cooling and security systems.

We installed indoor and outdoor cameras and the alarm system can be easily activated to secure the home with a touch. Shades and curtains close automatically, and all the lights are switched off. When it gets dark, the entrance lighting is turned on. In case of intruders, the touchscreens allow to immediately locate the area where the alarm was triggered and see footage of the security cameras. For example, when the motorized pool cover is activated, images are shown automatically on every touchscreen. Likewise, notifications are immediately sent to all touchscreens in case of fire (easily located thanks to 20 different fire safety zones). Finally, since all the EKEY biometric access systems are integrated, there is no need to repeatedly insert the alarm code (and, more importantly, to disclose the alarm code to other people when access to the property is required).

Over the years after the first completion of this project, there have been further upgrades to the system to add new functionalities or reflect the latest technologies: