Stannards Homes
Higher Lakewood Development
Higher Lakewood is an exclusive Stannard Homes' development in Littleborough. consisting of four houses overlooking Hollingworth Lake. A combination of the latest state of the art technology, with sustainable energy sources, means the homes are both environmentally friendly, energy efficient and 'intelligent'.
Clever technology within the home is linked through KNX, a central control system, which pulls together individual elements (like the security system, the lighting controls, the heating etc) so they talk a common language on a common platform. Because all of these elements 'speak the same language', they can operate together across the same network, resulting in much less cabling and higher functionality, putting the 'intelligence' into the home.
At Higher Lakewood the KNX system controls a number of functions including the ground source heat pump, a remote controlled entrance gate which transfers calls to a mobile if no-one is home, energy efficient LED lighting throughout, a sensor which can tell if the window is left open and switches off the heating in that room to conserve energy, and the facilities in the family room to create a home cinema.
Integrators EnTech (part of the ibt group) installed the KNX system, at Higher Lakewood. An internationally recognized system, KNX offers total interoperability between products from any manufacturer, meaning that there is no tie to any brand of electrical equipment that works with the system -- and no risk of it becoming obsolete. All KNX products are 'forwards and backwards' compatible. This means replacement products will always be available in the future.
Stannard Homes developer Justin Stannard chose KNX after researching the market thoroughly for similar systems. The functionality, along with the energy saving features meant it satisfied all his requirements. He was so pleased with the KNX installed at Higher Lakewood that he has chosen to install similar systems in many of his future developments -- with back orders for around 20 more properties already received. KNX meets with Stannard's customer focused philosophy of producing new homes that will maintain homeowner satisfaction for the duration of their time in the property, and not just reap the benefit of a 'quick sale'.
KNX links the following functionality throughout the four homes:
- Individual room heating control, dropping the temperature when no one is present within the room.
- Enhanced Intruder alarm -- when activated the lights flash to disorientate the intruder.
- Enhanced smoke and fire alarm - when activated the lights come on to aid escape.
- Presence simulation. The system records householders actions for one week and replays these when the house is empty to simulate occupancy.
- Lighting 'Mood Scenes' within each room, allowing the aesthetics of a room to change at the touch of a button.
- Appliance sockets are automatically turned off when the home is empty.
- A weather station records wind speed, temperature, rain and light. This can activate other features like the rain sensor which will close all windows if rain is detected.
- An average of 60 lighting circuits per home. The majority of these are energy efficient low voltage and LEDs. These circuits are a mix of dimmable and switch circuits, giving each room the ability to transform its feel.
- Audiovisual and data distribution is integrated into the system and along with the KNX can be controlled via the wireless Vity control panel - allowing control from anywhere in the home.