Grand Designs Home
Featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, Irish architect and farmer, Patrick Bradley chose our building automation system for his self-built home.
Grand Designs Home | Building Automation
When Irish architect and farmer, Patrick Bradley, came up with a design for his own home that would be like nothing seen before, he was determined to include as many state-of-the art features as he could. Of the lighting control and heating systems, his key requirement was the intelligent control of all of the functions via his iPad or mobile phone. He presented this challenge to the contractor, AK Electrical, who installed a system based on controls from electrical solutions and services provider Hager.
Patrick’s home was one of the projects featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, a series which sets out to profile some of the most ambitious self-build projects. Patrick runs his architectural practise on the family farm at Maghera in County Londonderry. He had come up with a design that series presenter Kevin McCloud described as ‘radical’. Choosing a stunningly beautiful location on the family farm, Patrick was planning to build his home using four 45 ft steel shipping containers, stacked two-high in the form of a cantilevered cross. As Kevin McCloud said, this was a ‘powerful personal statement about him (Patrick) as an architect’.
Not only was the architectural approach to the design radical, but the building programme for the house was also nothing less than ambitious. The time allowed for converting the huge metal shells from sea-going container to avant-garde luxury home was just 10 months. The project was well underway when Patrick Bradley approached AK Electrical with his plans for the electrical control systems in July 2014. As an architect, he knew of AK Electrical’s reputation and so commissioned the company to design his intelligent electrical control system.
Aaron Kearney, proprietor at AK Electrical, supplied the project through its sub-company, iControl Homes. He explained: “Patrick had a vision for his home and he was very specific about what he wanted, right down to the smallest detail. Initially, he intended to have only automated control over the lighting system but while this was possible we felt that in practical terms, it would be better to have the option of switches. With the choices available from Hager, we knew that we could achieve the level of technological sophistication that Patrick wanted, together with aesthetics that would complement the visual design of the home.
"With the choices available from Hager, we knew that we could achieve the level of technological sophistication we wanted."
Our system recommended by AK Electrical was the Domovea building automation package. Divided into two key elements, Domovea consists of a server which connects the KNX bus system onto an IP network, which is then supported by Domovea visualisation software which is available across multiple operating systems, including iOS, Android and PC. It is designed to enable building owners to monitor and control their KNX building automation simply through the intuitive control of different devices from PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet. This ticked all the right boxes as far as Patrick’s desire for automated control was concerned, but it was the additional benefit of speed of installation which secured the deal for AK Electrical. The design of the Domovea package enabled AK Electrical to build and pre-programme the central control unit in their own workshop so that all that was needed on site was to fit the cabinet to the wall and connect the appropriate cables.
As well as employing sophisticated technology, Patrick was determined to carry his vision through to the aesthetics of design when it came to interiors. Having initially decided against using any form of switches, he found that he was able to incorporate switches from the premium German-designed Berker range from us without compromising the standards he had set. The switch he chose was the B.IQ which offers up to four functional elements – temperature controller, information display, tactile sensor and timer – in a single control unit. B.IQ switches incorporating thermostats were fitted in each room, delivering an additional benefit of providing control over five zones of heating.
Patrick Bradley commented on the installation: “When I first approached Aaron I had very little time as it was at a later stage in the project than first planned. There were also constraints on the budget for the electrical installation. When I met with him to discuss my requirements he completely put my mind at rest. In relation to the specification and quality of the systems, he was able to provide, he really impressed me. I can honestly say I wasn’t completely aware of the level of technology he could provide. The Berker product range is absolutely first class. It is simple and so easy to use and really didn’t take me long to get to grips with it. For example, when I am away from home and my family visit the house, they have no trouble operating the system. I will definitely be recommending the product range in my future projects.”
Commenting on his recommendation of the systems from us, Aaron Kearney says: “We have had a business relationship with Hager for a number of years and I have used the Domovea system myself in our own showroom, so I knew exactly what it was capable of. We always keep an eye on the new products that Hager introduce and having met up with the company at the KNX exhibition in Frankfurt last Spring, their products were fresh in my mind. Patrick was over the moon. The electrical installation was as quick and easy as he wanted – it ran perfectly with no snags and was even completed ahead of schedule. He has found the control interface efficient, easy to use and extremely responsive and it basically did everything that he had asked for.”
Bruce Davies, our Managing Director added: “We are extremely proud to have a selection of our KNX products associated with such an impressive project. It reflects the quality of design that Hager stands for across every single product, from basic wiring accessories through to cutting-edge home automation systems.”
Products used in this case study
Get inspired and discover how you can use our electrical installations in your next project! .
Building Automation | KNX System
Hager's KNX system can provide more convenience and safety coupled with lower energy consumption, which can be achieved by intelligent control and monitoring of all products involved.
Domovea
Domovea provides visualisation of control via smart phone, tablet, or PC. The Domovea app can be downloaded on IOS or Android.
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