HTA Update - 06/27/2008 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
Take a Proactive Approach to Meet Your Home Buyer’s Technology Needs
Quick Tip: Installing Technology During the Critical Path of Construction
Energy Management: The Eco-Amenity of Choice
Successful and Profitable Home Technology Projects through Systems Design
Ask an Expert
Industry Recognition

Industry Recognition

The Custom Electronic Design Installation Association (CEDIA) Electronic Lifestyles® Awards honor excellence on technical and design/aesthetic aspects of technology installation projects in the residential electronic systems industry. Project categories include Best Home Theater, Best Media Room, Best Integrated Home, Best Special Project, Best Hidden Installation and Best Dressed System. Winners are selected by two panels of judges, a technical team made up of five CEDIA residential electronic systems contractor members, and a design team comprised of members from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

The HTA Update features an award winner to highlight one of the projects in each issue. Each member involved in these projects—the architect, builder, interior designer, and electronic systems contractor (ESC)—played an integral part to the finished product. As with any industry, developing partnerships is a clear way to expand your business by being able to offer more options to clients.

Best Theme Theater Technical Design & Overall Winner

Audio Advisors, Inc.
West Palm Beach, FL
www.audioadvisors.com

Home Theater Designer:

Acoustic Innovations
Boca Raton, FL

Feature Essay:

Audio Advisors indulged this client’s wish for a Star Trek Enterprise theme theater with 11 seats, a large screen and complete state-of-the-art electronics. Using sophisticated design software, the team successfully created the unique compound soffit and ceiling elements, and computer-controlled LED lighting that allows the entire theater to change mood at the touch of a button (and even go to ‘redalert’ when a battle is imminent!).

Audio Advisors fit the bridge of the Star Trek Enterprise in a space that was about 2/3 the size of the TV show (and that room didn’t have to hide a JBL Synthesis system with four subwoofers). The concrete floor was previously poured, so Audio Advisors built a custom aluminum frame to support with attachments for D-Box actuators. As far as the owner was concerned, this was the most important room in the whole house so details were vital, like making sure the automated doors made the proper “pssssht” sound when they opened and closed.

Audio Advisors used a Crestron TPMC-10 and several Crestron TPS-2000s to simplify the various functions of the theater and lobby. Everything in these two rooms is Star Trek themed, even the graphics on the touchpanels. They also installed dummy displays that rotate through various images of Star Trek themed control stations to make sure it looked as authentic as possible.

Multiple layers of sound control are used, including mass loaded barrier and differing materials. Carefully placed absorption mixed with diffusion provides a pleasant, balanced sound field. The video system includes a Stewart screen and Sony projector that is installed higher than the screen to allow enough headroom to walk under it when entering the room. The JBL Synthesis system serves up powerful surround-sound effects, pleasing to all guests traveling on the Enterprise, especially the owner who turned a TV show fantasy into a tangible reality.

Equipment from the following manufacturers was used in this project:

Sony, Stewart Filmscreen, JBL, Algolith, Key Digital, Gefen, Kaleidescape, Marantz, Hughes, Pioneer, Mitsubishi, Crestron, Panamax, Richard Gray Power Company, Pacific Digital, Middle Atlantic, and D-BOX Odyssey.

Time and Expertise Worksheet:

Client Interviews: 20
Electronic Design and Engineering: 120
Proposal and System Documentation Preparation: 20
Project Management: 100
Pre-wire/Rough-in: 32
Trim-out: 24
Shop Time for Racking and Testing: 24
Programming: 56
Final Installation and Calibration: 315
Client Instruction: 4
Interior Design and/or Architecture by your Company:
Interior Design and/or Architecture by Others: 450
Project Management by Others: 200
Total Hours to Complete: 1365