With this project we have quite literally gone out on a limb, to answer the problem of how to reconcile 19th century interior splendour, with 21st century state-of-the-art living. Specialising in the manufacture and distribution of flat screen mounting solutions and high-tech devices to hide AV equipment, we designed a spectacular custom-made mechanism for a period apartment in Knightsbridge, effectively showcasing our ability to offer designers innovative solutions to the challenges of integrating technology within the interior scheme.
"FUTURE AUTOMATION GOES OUT ON A LIMB TO DELIVER STUNNING BESPOKE SOLUTION!"
We were brought in by leading systems integrator and CEDIA member, Martin Kleiser, to help provide a bespoke solution for a high-end property developer who wanted to differentiate the Pont Street apartment from others at the top end of the market by offering discreet yet lifestyle-enhancing home automation systems. The challenge for us, concerned the concealment of a television within the main reception room. The screen, which was to be housed within a beautiful piece of cabinetry, needed to be automatically revealed and repositioned for an unrivalled viewing experience. Ollie French, Commercial Director, explains: “The layout of the room and the nature and age of the building posed unique challenges when it came to considering how to position the television, as it couldn’t be recessed into the walls. Our solution was to combine two of our products to create a specialised automation mechanism on which the screen could be seamlessly revealed.”
The resultant mechanism is an evolution of our ever popular sliding panel mechanism, which splits a panel in half horizontally before advancing the screen to sit flush with its surroundings. In this case, the dynamics of the room and the fact the cabinet position was pre-determined by an air-conditioning unit meant the screen could not be comfortably viewed in this position. By combining the split panel unit with its new Quad Arm bi-directional electric bracket, we were able to devise a mechanism that not only revealed the screen but advanced it completely out of the cabinet, before rotating it to the optimum position for the room. One of the more complex split panels we have ever built, the product required the substantial re-programming of the software inside the control box, amongst other alterations. “This is a bespoke solution to a request which combines two of our standard products. All clients have individual needs and this is a perfect example of how we can meet their requirements by using existing technology and products, in innovative ways,” explains Ollie.
Our ground-breaking solution delivers real lifestyle and aesthetic benefits, allowing the screen to be discreetly concealed and then revealed for maximum effect. One touch of the wireless Crestron touchpanel and the plasma moves from its stylish home, before rotating out to face into the room. The final effect, with the screen appearing to float in front of the cabinet, delivers not only the required ‘wow’ factor but also offers the perfect platform on which to display the property’s impressive audio-visual sources, including the Kaleidescape entertainment server.
Future Automation came up with the goods and delivered a mechanism that truly is a work of mechanical art. Everyone who has seen the mechanism in action has been blown away and it really has become the highlight of the entire project!