Smart Home

The intelligent home developed through various projects, but first and foremost through the "Haus der Gegenwart" (House of the Present), which came about as a result of an architectural competition. In 2001, the magazine of the Süddeutsche Zeitung called for entries to design a four-person house that should cost no more than 250,000 euros and reflect the social responsibility of architecture. A real building emerged from the theoretical competition: the "Haus der Gegenwart" (House of the Present) by the architectural firm Allmann Sattler Wappner (2nd place in the competition), which was realised at the BUGA 05. Among other things, it included a central control option for all electrical processes - the first smart home was born.

The first "Smart Home": The "House of the Present" by the architectural firm Allmann Sattler Wappner

As a planner or architect, a Smart Home means a minimum of basic know-how in planning, consulting and selecting the system. Consider the topic of Smart Home from the very beginning of planning. The basic question to be clarified with the building owner: How much automation is desired? What should be used remotely? Lights, shutters, heating, household appliances? More or less? Is rewiring, for example with a bus system, feasible - or is a radio system the better and cheaper option? In addition, the question of flexibility and stability must be clarified: KNX systems with a corresponding home server are particularly stable, but also cost-intensive and programming-intensive. Cheaper alternatives can give the resident more flexibility in terms of control. What does this look like in practice?

Lamps, televisions, vacuum robots - they can all communicate with each other and many more. How can this be done? Quite simply by app or voice command. The prerequisite is an automation process for networking the technical devices. In order for home automation to work without problems, the products must be compatible or use the same radio standard. When setting up a new smart home, wired smart home systems are often the first choice because they ensure more reliable transmission. Cables are the only way to ensure that there are no problems with the range or with neighbouring radio networks. However, the installation of a wired system is only realistically feasible for new buildings or general renovations. In retrospect, radio-based systems are the right choice. Those who use a Smart Home system with a control centre can control all networked devices in their home with the manufacturer's app or with a voice assistant. If you use products from different manufacturers, you may have to operate each one with its own app. The devices are equipped with sensors that recognise specific stimuli, e.g. movement, and inform a central control element (called base station, gateway, hub, bridge or central unit). An action is then set in motion - an alarm sounds, the light goes on or the shutters come down. All this can be individually parameterised.

The biggest advantage of the smart home for the user is probably that it relieves him of tedious tasks, automates them through routines, enables free time and thus makes life more comfortable. 

• Entertainment: A networked Smart TV has many advantages - if you simply use voice control to arrange for the blinds and lamps to provide glare-free entertainment, you no longer have to operate everything individually and can enjoy it directly. 

• Security: For maximum security, motion, smoke and water sensors can be networked with alarm systems and cameras. In addition, it is easy to check from anywhere whether all windows and doors are closed.

• Energy saving: Thanks to smart lighting and heating control, a lot of energy can be saved. To this end, thermostats or underfloor heating systems react intelligently to environmental sensors such as brightness, movements or temperature. 

• Convenience: Networked coffee machines, air conditioners and vacuuming, mopping and mowing robots are available for more everyday convenience. Not just convenient, but luxurious: smart lighting control in the bathroom. 

Thanks to emco light system, bathroom lighting can be controlled individually and smartly.

With the emco light system, every user can create their very own lighting mood. Light temperature and brightness can be continuously regulated via app, controller or touch control panel. For example, the LED illuminated mirror cabinet evo can be networked with the new emco cosmetic mirror or other Casambi-enabled products. Whether switched separately or synchronously, the emco light system (https://www.emco-bath.com/inspiration/emco-light-system.html ) offers a limitless light spectrum - morning, noon, evening and every new day. Thanks to the timer function, it can be individually set when one light scene ends and the next begins - this not only creates a personal lighting ambience, but also provides burglary protection. The perfect light can be set for every situation in the bathroom - whether for make-up, bathing or shaving. The Cosmetic, Energising and Relaxing moods are already stored.