Timber frame home integrates high technology and energy conservation
The focus of this 8,000 square foot, six bedroom, post and beam style home in New York's finger lake region was to create an environment for their large family to spend quality time together.
It wouldn't always be the owners in the house, so we knew we had to make the lighting control system, house audio system, and custom theater room so easy to use that anyone could operate it without training.
The media room features a 120" drop down projection screen with a 50" plasma behind it. If they want to watch a movie or play Tiger Woods Golf on the X-box, the projection screen drops down and the bright Runco projector overpowers the sunlight coming into the room. If they want to catch a quick news broadcast and not have to worry about firing up the overhead projector, the plasma comes on to reduce energy consumption.
The audio system consists of 19 pairs of speakers around the house powered by B and K amplifiers and an 8 zone Sonos system as the interface. The audio zone structure was strategically designed to cater to the family's lifestyle.
Cameras, Temperature, and Lighting control were also an important part of the system design. With almost 200 light switches, eight thermostats, and 9 cameras, it could be a long walk around the house before bed to make sure all the lights are off and the house is secure. The simple interface of the Creston touch screens enabled the homeowners to choose from a handful of lighting scenes, control all of the thermostats from any touch screen, and see the video cameras.