Control4 Corporation will park its fully automated and customized “Smart Design, Smart Living” Airstream outside of the Innovation & Design Building, Seaport, Boston for exhibition during Boston Design Week from April 4 to 7.
Kicking off a multi-city tour to connect with interior design professionals and architects as well as their discerning clients, Control4 has automated an Airstream to act as a mini smart home on wheels. Designed to showcase how smart home technology can work behind the scenes to complement the décor of any residence, the Control4 Airstream will feature smart lighting, demonstrate the convenience of whole-home audio and video entertainment, the peace-of-mind that comes with intelligent safety and security, and the convenience of voice control.
In addition, over the course of the 12-week coast-to-coast “Smart Design, Smart Living” Tour, Control4 will offer numerous “Designing for Connected Homes” training classes. The goal of the tour is to provide design professionals with the knowledge, education, and resources to make connected, smart living a foundational aspect of their practices.
“With technology playing an essential part of our lives, we seek to develop products and experiences that will complement and augment the beauty and functionality of every home,” said Susan Cashen, Control4’s senior vice president of marketing, support, and training. “At Control4, we believe in adapting technology to complement the character of all home environments and in creating an atmosphere that appeals to any homeowner and family. That’s why we have created these programs—to bring the importance of designing for connected homes to a like-minded community that will benefit from these opportunities.”
As a CEDIA partner, Control4 will launch the Control4 Smart Home Design Program with nine different courses worth up to one continuing education credit per course for AIA, AIBD, or NARI members, or .1 CEU for IDCEC members. Participants will be provided proper paperwork to submit for credits.
With a wide berth of topics, designers and architects can learn lighting and shading system design tools and tips, designing for multiroom entertainment solutions, as well as key elements of intuitive design integration for connected homes. Popular courses include:
“Disguise and Hide – Designing for Technology”: This course reviews the three-pronged approach to hiding technology-advanced planning, design philosophy, and product selection, which are available for minimizing the visual impact of electronics such as speakers, video displays, controls, cameras, and more.
“Lighting Control Illuminated”: As smart lighting has become a standard in new construction and remodel projects, designers seek knowledge on lighting control terminology, benefits and misconceptions of smart lighting, identifying where automation can solve common lighting design problems.
“Shade and Window Treatments—Motorize, Integrate and Automate”: There are numerous types of window shade treatments in both residential and commercial, indoor and outdoor structures. This course provides an introduction to these solutions and considerations for why, when, and how to automate shading treatments for various types of projects.
Homes are now being designed for connected, smart living, and the technology allows for robust control and automation that goes well beyond many simple single-product solutions. Architects and interior designers will need to become experts to guide their clients through the process. New research conducted by the National Association of Home Builders sees the percentage of homes with smart technology rising to record levels, and finds that architects, builders, and designers are relying on high-tech home design and construction as a differentiator to build their businesses.
The Control4 Design courses will be offered as seminars, lunch-and-learn events, and networking opportunities at key locations throughout 2017. Designers, students, architects, builders, developers, and dealers interested in participating in the Control4 Smart Design Program can see the full course descriptions here and register for classes here www.control4.com/o/Design-Course as well as stay up to date with details, dates, and upcoming events.
