Future-proofing through Smart Wiring
By making sensible choices about the infrastructure and interior options, home owners can have peace of mind knowing they have invested wisely in purchasing a home.
Urban Intelligence director Lior Rauchberger believes the number one ‘future-proofing’ option is a structured wiring system that will connect today’s home with the future.
Structured cabling, or Smart Wiring, is one way of ensuring the longevity and adaptability of the home.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lior’s company Urban Intelligence specialises in designing and installing electrical and technology solutions for the home – specifically through home automation.
He says that investing in high-tech infrastructure is the best investment a home buyer can make: “A well-wired home offers affordable family office and communication capability, and home entertainment.”
Lior urges people to think through their priorities in regards to entertainment and technology, when designing or purchasing a new home. By doing this, Smart Wiring systems can be installed to provide present or future multiple plug-and-play access points for multimedia, phone, computer, networking, and high speed internet access.
Urban Intelligence has consulted on many projects where home owners have wanted to add additional technology devices and connect them with cabling, but “it’s a very long process given the time wasn’t taken from the outset to think about the future technology needs.”
“People don’t need to be technology experts or have a crystal ball to know what will be developed – they should simply consult with someone that understands cabling, and what will be required in the future. For example, the simple insertion of extra pipes in walls, allows additional cabling to be threaded through – providing instant use for devices.”
Future proofing the home also extends to energy efficient products such as LED lighting, which can be controlled by a home automation system. This involves being able to control the level of lighting in each room through a touch screen showing a percentage value of electricity being used.
Many people think this technology is out of their reach in terms of cost, but it is becoming more common in homes in Australia.
Smart Wiring is now in a third of all new homes in Australia, and roughly the same percentage of all major renovation work across the country.
Why? Because it is the most affordable way to make sure your home can handle technology.
Installed either at the time of building or during renovations, Smart Wiring lays a foundation of high-speed cables like Category 5 and Category 6 cabling throughout the house.
The most basic package-which delivers multi-room telephony, television and internet-starts around $3,000, but more advanced packages can be expanded to include home automation, security, climate and other AV features.
Multi-room, distributed data for things like the internet and home entertainment are still the biggest reason why people opt for Smart Wiring.
But, home owners are also looking to Smart Wiring to provide reliable, secure and fast multi-room AV, security and energy management features. In fact, better management of energy, power and water at home is now a major reason people are installing Smart Wiring, due to the ease of networking and controlling appliances once it’s in place.
“There now appears to be solid recognition by the public, as well as the building industry, telcos and consumer electronic companies, that our homes need to be ready for technology,” says Copper Development Centre (CDC) chief executive John Fennell.
“And the favoured solution is copper wires and cables, not wireless, because it can handle the big digital content effortlessly and reliably.”
Along time ago, wireless was set to spell the end of wires. But, despite major advances in what wireless can do at home and on the go, there appears to be a growing consensus that the networked home works best with a combination of technologies.
Ultimately, future proofing requires a little thinking beyond the blueprint and keeping abreast of the trends. Choosing smart infrastructure options will provide a functional, enjoyable environment, and guarantee the resale value of your home.
For more information, or to find an accredited Smart Wired builder or installer go to www.smartwiredhouse.com.au.
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT