When the two homeowners of a 22,000-square foot home in Calgary began undertaking a complete renovation, they knew that they needed a smart home control solution to pull it all together. Their previous experience with a “finicky” and “unreliable” control solution had convinced them that the promise of “smart” home control was largely an illusion—until, that is, local technology integration firm Home Concepts recommended that they experience the ELAN Entertainment and Control System.
According to Home Concepts managing partners P.J. Aucoin and Craig Applejohn, one demonstration of the ELAN system turned the homeowner from a hardened skeptic into a true believer. “Our client was looking for a whole home control solution that would seamlessly tie together all of their systems, and make control as easy as possible,” Aucoin said. “We recommended ELAN, which offers the best of both worlds for control and automation. Once they agreed to try it out, we built a sophisticated system that is accessible to them from anywhere in the world.”
Turning smart home skeptics into enthusiastic believers is something that Aucoin has encountered more than a few times since he started installing ELAN Entertainment and Control Systems. “The reality is that every control solution provider promises easy to install, easy to use, and easy to update control, but the reality is vastly different,” he said. “In our opinion, ELAN is unique in its ability to deliver a truly intuitive user experience that’s easy to design, install, and use.”
The Calgary home is a good case in point, according to Aucoin. Since the home is shaped in a unique “U” configuration, and was thus constructed in two phases, it was necessary that Home Concepts integrate two ELAN gSC10 controllers—one in an equipment rack in the left wing, and the other in an equipment rack in the right wing—to automate and control the home’s sophisticated Lutron Lighting system, 27 zones of HVAC, a security gate outfitted with ELAN Intercom, as well as all the home’s audio and video. Although there are technically two controllers, they perform as one system that is controlled from the same interface.
Since simple and immediate control was the project’s primary objective, the team recommended that the system be accessible from anywhere within the home or from outside the home, and from anywhere in the world. His team installed five ELAN gTP7 in-wall touchpanels, four gHR200 remotes, and added the ELAN App on each of the homeowner’s smartphones and tablets. “Easy access was the main goal,” the homeowner emphasized. “Together, Home Concepts and ELAN accomplished that for us. Now, we can easily manage our security system, adjust the lights in any room from anywhere in the house, and entertain with ease.”
Having an easily manageable entertainment system with high-quality audio and video was also a must. Home Concepts installed two ELAN S86A Integrated Multi-Room Audio/Video Controllers in the East wing, and two S86A ELAN S86A Integrated Multi-Room Audio/Video Controllers in the West wing to distribute audio to 23 zones throughout the house, including to three rooms equipped with surround sound. Sunfire HRS-subwoofers were installed throughout, and carefully concealed in custom cabinets in the living room, kitchen, and home theater.
Home Concepts worked with a custom cabinet builder to conceal the subwoofers and make sure that they were positioned in optimal locations for when the homeowners wanted to use them for entertaining. In the living room, a Sunfire subwoofer is concealed underneath the fireplace with a custom grille that matches the décor. The home’s televisions and lights were also blended discreetly with the interior design. “All of the televisions are built within niches and all of the lighting controls are hidden except for the keypads,” Aucoin added, “and all of the Lutron lighting switch loads are hidden in mechanical and storage rooms.”
Additionally, Home Concepts integrated a sophisticated Elk security system into the ELAN system to guarantee that the property would remain protected at all times. Particularly, the homeowner enjoys a private luxury car collection housed in a partitioned 10,000 square foot garage stationed on the property. It was integral that the homeowner be able to monitor the garage, along with the main residence, closely.
“We regularly use the automation system to make sure that the garage is secure by checking in on cameras and configuring the lighting to turn on or off at certain points of the day,” the homeowner said.
Home Concepts also protected all of the equipment by installing three Panamax M4315-PRO power conditioners and three Panamax MB1500 battery backups into each equipment rack. “Power protection is one of the most critical factors in protecting the client’s investment and prolonging the life of the installed technology,” Aucoin said. “Panamax’s BlueBOLT remote power management service allows me to have remote access. If anything goes awry, I can easily log in to BlueBOLT and reboot any of the home’s technology from anywhere in the world.”
According to the homeowners, they are thrilled (and relieved) that their automation experienced has turned out to be nothing short of exceptional. “Our experience with ELAN has been excellent,” they said. “We love its compatibility with many different products. We enjoy using it now, and know that we can always build on it in the future.”
