Nestled amongst some of Belgravia’s finest properties, 79 Cadogan Place is a recently renovated example of 19th century architecture with some up-to-the-minute technology hidden behind its stately façade. A short distance from Knightsbridge and some of the capital’s most exclusive retailers, restaurants, and hotels, the property sits opposite Cadogan Square, a leafy private garden with tennis courts for residents.

The scale of the renovations that were undertaken on the property are fully appreciated when the finished article is viewed; however, Simon Cope of appointed audio-visual consultants Martin Kleiser was under no illusion about the project: “The modernization to the residence included a complete strip-out on every floor. The developer undertook re-wiring, re-plumbing and the installation of new flooring throughout every level. At the rear of the property some essential underpinning work was carried out along with further structural stabilization.”

The property developer, London & Country Homes, were mindful of the fact that they would need to pay attention to detail in order to ensure the completed property would meet the exacting standards of the typical buyer. Philip Pomerance from London & Country Homes acknowledged that when it came to finding a light control system for a development as grand as Cadogan Place, any suggested system would need to be as sophisticated as the type of people who would ultimately own the property.

The developer had not worked with a total control system running through an entire property before, and this allowed the audio-visual consultant a ‘reasonably free rein’ to draw on their previous experience of working with products from U.S.-based Lutron. “Being unaware of the full range of benefits associated with a whole-house control system, the developer left us to suggest what could be achieved, and where,” said Cope. After careful consideration, Lutron HomeWorks—a recipient of the prestigious Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovations '99 Award—was specified as the system most appropriate for the development.

“We’ve always been impressed with the capability of Lutron, and the sheer scale of this property demanded a system with both power and flexibility,” Cope said.

In terms of meeting the high aesthetic standards required by the property developer, Cope had no concerns regarding acceptability: “We knew the sophisticated keypads would appeal to the prospective buyers; they are stylish individuals and want this reflected throughout every detail of their home.” However, equally important was the technology driving the system behind the scenes, as the developer readily acknowledged the potential owner could have a certain amount of knowledge and therefore, a level of expectation in terms of the control system.

Up to 16 processors can be used in a HomeWorks system with each processor capable of controlling 256 lighting zones. The total system capacity of 4,096 zones makes HomeWorks capable of handling the largest residences and those with even the most complex lighting designs. The scenes that were initially programmed into the system at Cadogan Place were designed to assist the selling agents when showing the property and give the potential owner an idea of the extent of the options available with Lutron controls. “It was important to have a welcome scene programmed in that demonstrated some of the features that make the property so distinctive, including the audio system that is controlled by HomeWorks,” said Cope.

While the room has an integrated audio system that gives the projection system full surround sound capabilities, Martin Kleiser maintain that home theatre was not necessarily the concept. “The basement was fortunate enough to be naturally well lit, providing opportunities to utilize the space in a number of ways. While what we have arrived at does function as an effective home theatre, it is actually designated as a sitting room.” The features of HomeWorks ensure that room transformations such as that seen in the basement at Cadogan Place are straightforward, allowing multi-functionality for rooms throughout the house.

From a security standpoint, HomeWorks operates alongside an alarm system and has total control over the external lighting. The exterior lights are set up on a 20 minute fade-to-on cycle at dusk, with seasonal variances taken into consideration. The system then reverses the program later through the night at variable times throughout the year. The property developers were also suitably impressed with Vacation Mode available with HomeWorks.

Vacation Mode memorizes and faithfully recreates the home dwellers' actual lighting usage patterns when the house is unoccupied. One button, rather than dozens of timers, activates Vacation Mode, creating a realistic lived-in look that is far superior to timers or randomly sequenced lights. Integrated with the home security system and front and rear lighting at Cadogan Place, maximum protection is offered while the occupiers are away.

In terms of meeting goals set out at the start of the project, Cope agreed that HomeWorks proved to be ‘flexible, very reliable, and user-friendly’. “I think we have made good use of the HomeWorks Interactive capabilities throughout the house. We were also able to achieve some very pleasing settings for the garden with the water fountain lighting operating on the Night setting programmed into the system.”

Philip Pomerance of London & Country Homes says of the Lutron system, “We wanted to give the impression of a totally modern lighting system to mirror the extensive renovations that had been carried out, a system to enhance the user’s perception of the property.” The result was undoubtedly achieved with HomeWorks, as audiovisual consultant Cope pointed out. “The system solved problems for the user, maybe problems that they didn’t even know they would have, by making everything simple—it is a total solutions package.”