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Home
Theater and Automation
The term “Home Theater”
means many things to different people. We find most people don’t
want a separate theater, but want all the same features in the family
room or “Great Room”. Whether you want a dedicated media
space or want to integrate the latest technology into an existing
house we can help you achieve the results you desire.
Several factors affect
media design and retail stores are great for stuffing electronics
into your home. Unfortunately they usually push all other aspects
of life behind the electronics priority. Furniture, décor,
acoustics and ergonomics must be accounted for to properly integrate
media into the home.
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Island
Drive
Palo Alto, CA
Total House Renovation |
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| A
1930’s Mission Revival originally designed for weekend use needed
extensive updating. The building’s original details had to be
retained, but all of the electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems
were hopelessly outdated. We had a narrow space for primary seating,
but this works exceptionally well with the 48” plasma monitor.
Discrete sound is handled by a combination of in wall and surface
mounted speakers. A complete data network facilitates transfer of
streaming video, MP3 files and the monitor is also used for e-mail,
word-processing and photo proofing. |
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for more images |
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Tollgate Road
Saratoga, CA
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The owners wanted a crisp
Contemporary home in the midst of a Neo-traditional neighborhood.
This home derives design elements from Sea Ranch along the Mendocino
coast. The home wraps 270 degrees around the knoll providing panoramic
views of the valley below. At the same time the owners had serious
media needs. The surfaces are non-coplanar for better acoustic performance
and ambient light was a serious problem. Ultimately rear projection
provided the brightest picture without sitting in a dark room. The
other media consoles are provided with removable panels to allow
easy cable and equipment changes.
Each room has temperature
sensors embedded in the walls to control HVAC air flow. Windows
are fitted with automated blinds to make it easy to cover the huge
glass areas with the flip of a switch. All rooms are served with
audio and video on-demand.
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for more images |
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Wilder Ave
Los Gatos, CA
Second Story Addition
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the midst of the Almond Grove Historic District we created a two-story
expansion behind the existing single story façade. While the
original house barely had a 60 amp electrical service, the new owner
had far more demanding needs, but he didn’t want to dedicate
large areas to home electronics. The trick was to blend old and new
at an appropriate scale. |
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for more images |
