Luxury housing communities throughout the nation are making a concerted effort to up their amenity game, and in Little Rock, Arkansas, the goal is no different. Professional management company Richardson Properties crafted the ultra-lux Pointe Brodie Creek housing complex on 40 acres, and connected more than 25 services through one ELAN Entertainment and Control System.
Nestled among the serene outdoors, The Pointe Brodie Creek offers the best of luxury living in Little Rock.
“We traveled to several Class-A multifamily communities in Texas to get ideas for this luxury property,” said Steve Tracy, vice president of real estate at Richardson Properties. “The goal was to craft a community with amazing amenities that weren’t available at other properties in the area.”
The community boasts an array of services and facilities that includes a 78-seat theater, virtual fitness room, poker lounge and climate controlled wine lockers, 24/7 Precor fitness center, late-night concierge, Las Vegas-style pool, and much more.
After developing the overall design, Richardson Properties sought expert advice from Jonesboro-based design and integration firm Sound Concepts.
“In terms of square-footage, this is one of the largest jobs we’ve completed to date,” said Ryan Heringer, owner of Sound Concepts. “We showed Keith Richardson and Steve Tracy a variety of automation systems in our showroom, and they ultimately selected ELAN for the job.”
According to Tracy, the main factor in choosing the ELAN system was its usability. “We needed a system that was user-friendly and easy to operate, and the ELAN system has definitely exceeded our expectations.”
The Pointe Brodie Creek has become its own community within Little Rock. Residents can enjoy Thirsty Thursdays, Wine Club meetings, and other special events in the main Club House weekly. However, with most amenities available to residents until 10 p.m., Richardson Properties needed a way to close down the facilities after hours.
“Most of the systems are on a schedule,” said Tracy. “Our irrigation system, pool pumps, music, TVs, fountains, and fireplaces are all scheduled to turn on and off at certain hours with ELAN.”
With more than 500 multi-family units situated around the Club House, residents can enjoy a variety of amenities just outside of their door. Among them is a fully loaded, 78-seat movie theater situated on the entire third floor of the main building. Built with state-of-the-art acoustics, the room comes equipped with a Draper 16:9 screen, Epson projector recessed in the back wall, and an ELAN System Controller to keep everything running smoothly. The theater is completely operated by the ELAN g! App from an iPad built into the wall.
Throughout the rest of the Club House, The Point Brodie Creek residents can watch more than 10 Samsung 3D Smart LED TVs ranging from 46” to 55”. An 80” SHARP 3D Smart LED TV is also available in the communal Conference Room, which is utilized by not only residents but also Little Rock-based organizations as well.
For audio, an ELAN S1616A Multi-Room Audio Controller is used to operate more than 30 zones throughout the facility. The three-story building can receive audio inputs from up to 16 sources, creating full-bodied sound through 78 in-ceiling speakers. The MRA system allows The Pointe Brodie Creek’s Community Manager, Shelley Ellis, to create the perfect atmosphere in each room, so residents using the Library won’t be subjected to the same music as those attending “Thirsty Thursday” down the hall.
Custom Lutron LED Lighting systems were installed throughout the Club House, making the ambiance of each room unique to its purpose. Through the ELAN g! App, Ellis can not only turn the lights on and off, but also change the colors of the lights to set the exact mood desired for a sports game or other special event.
“The ELAN system is basically a time saving device,” said Ellis. “Running around the property to turn everything on and off manually would take hours. With ELAN, I am able to operate and monitor everything straight from my phone, which makes my job a lot easier.”
The A/V doesn’t stop with the Club House. “We installed just as much audio and video equipment outside than we did inside,” said Heringer. “The green space is filled with speakers and 40 Wirepath surveillance cameras to keep residents not only entertained, but also make them feel safe.”
Twenty landscape speakers line the entire outdoor area, so residents can enjoy music at the Pet Park, Playground, Volleyball Court, Putting Green, or Garden, or while barbecuing with friends by the Las Vegas-style pool. Surrounding the pool, residents can receive a resort-like experience with cabanas, fire pits, and an additional 30 outdoor speakers hidden in the greenery. Inside the lush pool house, the bar boasts a Samsung 80” Smart 3D LED TV, while the outside bar comes equipped with a 55” 3D LED TV, and the patio hosts a 65” Smart LED TV. Best of all, the entire outdoor A/V system is connected to an ELAN HC4 systems manager, allowing The Pointe Brodie Creek’s operations team to keep everything running smoothly without a second thought.
“We recently broke ground on a similar facility right across the street,” said Tracy. “We’re working through the details now, but with the success of The Pointe Brodie Creek, we know it will be another fully automated community.”
