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HiddenWires - Nikobus Installation in Eight-Bedroomed Property in Belgium

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Nikobus Installation in Eight-Bedroomed Property in Belgium (2/3/2010)

By Niko (UK) Ltd

This eight-bedroomed property in a village just outside Gent is owned by Patrick Van Steelandt. Having decided to completely refurbish the property and redesign its floor plan, the time was right to include a home automation system as well as distributed audio and video.

The eight-bedroomed property built in the 1950s.

Being the Commercial Director of Niko, Mr Van Steelandt naturally chose to have a Niko system installed and to consult the company's technical expert, Didier Legrand, on the possibilities to consider. The project took six months to complete and cost 50,000 Euros. The project was also managed by Didier Legrand, and installed by Robert Boon.

The brief

The goal for this project was to deliver a comfortable retreat for relaxation and entertaining for business and pleasure. With areas for working, relaxing, entertaining and exercise, the automation and AV distribution needed to be flexible, adaptable and easy to control, from anywhere in the house.

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Planning

The specification for home automation and distributed AV was not an initial priority in the refurbishment plan, so it was thought that RF would be used to control the house. However, since RF has a limited range of 30m indoors and 100m outdoors, it was soon realised that that the project would probably be too big for RF, so hard-wiring using Nikobus, which is a 9V din-rail bus system comprising mountable modules, that runs on its own two-wire cable, would be the best solution for accommodating Mr Van Steelandt's current and future needs.

The Nikobus 9V din-rail bus system in a cabinet.

The solution

The corridor, living space, dressing room and kitchen all use Niko LED strips to create ambient lighting scenes, alongside traditional lighting solutions. The hallway has PIR sensors and LED orientation night lighting, and the guest cloakroom and lobbies also have PIR sensors.

The windows are protected by electronically-controlled shutters, and the sitting room houses a home entertainment centre distributed around the house using the Niko Allegretto audio distribution system, alongside a Bose DVD loudspeaker surround sound system and a 50" plasma television for the main sitting room.

The kitchen has a wall-mounted Niko touchpanel that controls all functions of the house. The Philips Pronto (with Nikobus interface) has been integrated with the Nikobus system, and can be used to control the power points, roll-down shutters, audio and video and the ambience. It operates via infrared receivers that are discreetly hidden in the rooms.



The wall-mounted Niko touchpanel controls all functions of the house.

Installation

There is one Nikobus controller module cabinet on each floor, and one in the cellar. The cable length between each of these and the areas they control, has been minimised by converting the existing laundry chute into a cupboard on each floor, so that all of the cabinets are mounted directly in line, one above the other, giving easy access without taking up any additional space in the house.

In the kitchen, the wall-mounted Niko touchpanel features simple and elegant icons and is finished in white. There is also an LCD television screen that is wall-mounted and fed from a central television receiver in the study. The kitchen is fitted with LED lighting strips under the counter tops.



The kitchen, with wall-mounted LCD TV and LED lighting under the counter tops.

The LEDs are programmed using the Niko RGB controller to provide a selection of options for colour washing the room or providing additional white light. The colour wash options are vast, and can be set to stay just one colour, or to change either rapidly or very gradually, depending on the mood of the moment.

Colour changing LEDs in the kitchen.

All of the public areas of the house including lavatories, hallways, lobbies, etc., are monitored by PIRs so that when it is dark, the area is automatically lit up when someone enters the space. Discreet Niko LED Mysterious orientation lights automatically provide adequate low-level lighting at night, via PIR monitoring, to allow safe and easy navigation of the stairs.

The dining room is controlled using Niko Mysterious switches. As this area is primarily used for entertaining and the emphasis in this room is on the 'feel' and decoration of the space, it was felt that the Mysterious switches, which are designed to disappear completely into the wall, were the best choice. The Mysterious switches are covered in matching



wall covering so that all that is seen is a very discreet line around the switch, which is illuminated by an LED backlight to give a soft glow and to make it easy to find the switch in the dark. If control is required for, say, the audio system, then the Pronto, which usually resides in the sitting room, can be used to control any other functions necessary in the room.

Niko Mysterious switches sit flush in the wall and are decorated to blend in with their surroundings.

The sitting room is the heart of the home entertainment system for the house. Cleverly hidden in an existing dresser cabinet that was built into the house when it was constructed, there is the plasma screen, a Bose surround and DVD system, and the Niko Allegretto A88 8-zone, 8-input audio distribution system that uses an FM tuner, iPod and CD player to provide audio throughout the house. The music system can be operated via any of the keypads or touchpanels in the house, or via the Pronto. The press of a button on the Pronto also transforms the whole room into an intimate viewing room by closing curtains, dimming the lights and setting up the movie on the screen.



Inside the dresser cabinet is the 50" plasma screen, Niko Allegretto A88 8-zone, 8-input audio distribution

system, and source equipment.

The lighting has been programmed to provide a choice of lighting scenes, from 'Reading' through 'Relaxing' to 'Party' at the press of button.

The master bedroom suite consists of a dressing room, bathroom and bedroom. The dressing room is controlled by PIR and light switches, with under-counter LED lighting to allow for soft lighting.

An 'All Off' switch is located on the keypad by the bed. The house is programmed to give Mr Van Steelandt an easy and regular wake up call each morning, turning on the radio automatically, opening the shutters and curtains, and switching on the lights. This has since been reprogrammed to provide night time lighting to navigate to the bathroom, where the radio plays the same station as in the bedroom, and a brighter, invigorating lighting scene helps to start the day.

During the night, LED orientation lighting is activated using PIRs so that, in the event of a night time visit to the bathroom, everything is gently lit.

The speakers used in the bathroom are Amina invisible speakers, which use NXT technology and are built into the wall and plastered over so that they are totally invisible. In the bathroom, the Amina speakers are situated in the ceiling, and lighting scenes are programmed for shaving at the sink, relaxing in the Jacuzzi, taking a shower, or having a



session in the steam room.

The gym, located on the first floor, is a work in progress, and uses Amina speakers for audio. Video is not currently delivered to this room, as it was an afterthought, so an independent plasma screen and DVD player have been installed. Video will be provided when the access control system is introduced - this is awaiting the installation of an electronic gate to the front of the property and CCTV coverage. Programmable lighting scenes are an option here, but are not currently required.

The second floor/attic space covers the entire footprint of the house and is an enormous light room with great potential. Mr Van Steelandt has not yet decided how to use this room, but the cabling is in place and once the decision has been made, integrating this area into the automation system will be easy.

Challenges

The main cause for concern for this installation was to minimise the length of the cable runs - and how to achieve these cable runs - without tearing up the house. Using existing features of the house, such as the cellar and the laundry chute, made this installation more efficient and less disruptive to the client.

We know that there are more changes planned for the house and gardens, and the Niko system has the capacity to easily integrate these so that it continues to be one seamless system despite the addition of security, access controls and more extensive exterior lighting.

The Niko system has the capacity to easily integrate security, access controls and more extensive exterior

lighting as they are added to the house and gardens.

Conclusion

The introduction of LED lighting and PIR motion detectors throughout this install has ensured a significant reduction in energy consumption. Clever use of existing spaces and cabinets means that this home has undergone a radical redesign, without it conflicting with the original design features of the house.



Mr Van Steelandt has been living in this house for around eighteen months now - and during that time, he has been able to get changes to the programming of settings such as wake up lighting etc, made easily. Programming changes in a Niko system are quick and easy to achieve, so the system has a high level of inbuilt flexibility.

As Patrick Van Steelandt puts it, "From planning to have some nice stylish switches and electrically-controlled roller shutters, I increased my investment in home automation significantly, and I really believe it is one of the best things that I have done in this house. Now I am living here, it is the increased convenience that I am enjoying most."

Niko designs and produces advanced solutions for electrical switching equipment, light control, home automation, door and video phone systems.

www.niko.be

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