Along the Delaware River in Bensalem Township stands one of Pennsylvania’s most treasured architectural landmarks: Andalusia, the mansion and estate originally constructed in the 1830s by Nicholas Biddle with architect Thomas U. Walter. Known for its monumental Doric-columned south wing and carefully preserved historic fabric, Andalusia embodies nearly two centuries of American heritage.
It is within this rare setting that ProTech Audio Video executed a complete URC Total Control smart-home automation system, delivering modern comfort and reliability without compromising the integrity of a nationally significant property. The project demanded discretion, sensitivity, and engineering precision. The result is a fully integrated automation environment that feels natural, invisible, and completely sympathetic to the historic interiors and exteriors of the estate.
This is not a house filled with gadgets. It is a residence where innovation stays out of sight, allowing the story of Andalusia to remain the focal point while quietly enhancing daily living.
A Vision Rooted in Preservation
Retrofitting automation into a structure built more than 160 years ago required a design philosophy aligned with conservation practices. Decorative plasterwork, original stone walls, period millwork, and museum-grade finishes all imposed strict limitations on wiring, hardware placement, and visible interfaces.
The homeowner sought a modern estate experience with multiroom audio, lighting scenes, shading control, and security integration and without the presence of visible technology. ProTech’s primary goal became clear: deliver uncompromising functionality while leaving the historic spaces visually untouched.
“Working inside a landmark like Andalusia demands respect for every surface,” states Benjamin Longjohn, owner, ProTech Audio Video. “Our goal was to deliver modern capability without leaving a fingerprint on the historic fabric. The success of this project comes from precision, patience, and a deep commitment to preserving what makes this home extraordinary.”
The result is a smart home that feels authentic to 1860 but performs effortlessly in 2025.
The Right Solution
Historic estates demand subtlety, durability, and adaptability. URC Total Control’s design flexibility made it possible to integrate keypads and touchscreens that look natural in traditional rooms yet operate with modern responsiveness.
- Low-profile hardware that blends into plaster walls and paneled rooms
- Custom scenes for lighting, shading, audio, and climate that reduce the need for multiple switches
- Unified interfaces so every function is available from one menu structure
- Clean aesthetic that respects historic interiors while delivering advanced automation
- Reliable two-way communication across all subsystems, ensuring dependable performance over time
In a property where every change requires careful consideration, URC’s minimal visual footprint and personalized control options made it the perfect platform.
“URC’s Total Control platform was ideal for a property of this caliber,” says Longjohn. “Its clean design, flexible programming, and low-profile hardware let us integrate advanced automation while keeping the technology invisible. It gives the homeowner complete control without compromising the historic character of the estate.”
System Overview: Modern Capability Behind Historic Walls
Despite the constraints of the estate’s structure, ProTech installed a comprehensive automation ecosystem using components from the project’s Bill of Materials. The system spans distributed audio, intelligent lighting, automated shading, environmental sensing, and security triggers, all tied into URC’s logic engine.
The estate now supports multiroom, high-definition audio using Episode DSP amplifiers, Origin Acoustics in-ceiling and landscape speakers, Sonos ports and Sonos Beam, and a Denon AVR-X2800H 7.2 receiver.
The audio network delivers warm, rich sound without visible speakers dominating rooms. URC seamlessly handles zone switching, grouping, and source control, enabling music to drift from parlors to terraces without delay.
Lighting and Ambiance
Lighting throughout Andalusia required precision. Historic estates rely heavily on ambiance, so ProTech installed with Lighting BOSS fixtures, Epistar MR16 LED lamps, and Accent lighting for architectural details.
URC’s Total Control choreographs lighting scenes such as Daylight mode for gallery rooms, Evening mode for entertaining, and exterior illumination for gardens and pathways. All presets are activated from URC touch panels without cluttering walls with banks of switches.
Security and Environmental Interfaces
The estate integrates Luma 220 and 820 series surveillance cameras, Honeywell sensors and carbon monoxide and smoke detection. URC’s notification system alerts the homeowner instantly if a door or window opens, an alarm is triggered, or environmental sensors detect concern. These features operate without adding visual intrusion to historic thresholds or casements.
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Network and Infrastructure Backbone
A smart estate demands reliable networking. ProTech deployed UniFi Dream Machine and access points, WattBox surge-protected power management, and Strong rack systems for discreet equipment housing. This ensures fast, stable communication across the automation ecosystem without requiring invasive construction.
Discreet Control Throughout the Estate
Because preserving Andalusia’s visual identity was paramount, all URC interfaces were selected for subtlety. TDC tabletop controllers sit naturally on desks and sideboards, TKP in-wall touchscreens replace multiple switches with a single elegant interface, and URC handheld remotes provide full control without requiring wall modifications.
These interfaces give homeowners access to audio, lighting, shading, cameras, and climate without disturbing the historic interiors. Visitors see a historic property. The residents experience a highly functional, intelligently automated estate.
The system enhances daily life while remaining invisible with scenes that fit the owners’ preferences.
- Morning Scene: Soft lighting rises, shades open, and gentle audio plays through sitting rooms.
- Entertaining Scene: Garden lighting activates, music extends outdoors, and interior lights shift to warm tones.
- Security Scene: With one press, doors lock, exterior lighting activates, and cameras shift to night monitoring.
- Good Night Scene: Lights fade, audio stops, shades close, and a full-system security sweep initiates automatically.
Each scene is grounded in URC’s customizable logic engine, designed to support lifestyle needs without interfering with historic aesthetics.
Engineering Around Historic Constraints
Delivering a comprehensive automation system in a landmark property required solving unique challenges, including avoiding penetration or alteration of historic plaster, routing wiring through limited pathways, preserving period fixtures while enabling modern lighting control, maintaining precise temperature and humidity awareness, and ensuring serviceability without disturbing preserved rooms.
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ProTech’s team engineered every device placement and cable path with architectural sensitivity, ensuring all technology is present but unseen.
The Result
Andalusia now stands as a model for how technology can enhance historic living when executed with care and respect. The estate retains the grandeur of Nicholas Biddle’s original vision while offering the comfort, security, and convenience expected in a modern luxury residence.
URC Total Control provides the perfect balance: a discreet, elegant automation platform capable of handling complex integrations without compromising beauty. ProTech Audio Video delivered a solution that honors history while supporting the lifestyle of today.
For more information, visit urc-automation.com.
