This CEDIA award-winning scheme is impressive in its complexity and scale, integrating the latest technology almost invisibly into an historic setting

When Censys Residential Control incorporated state-of-the-art technology into Kasteel Domein Amerloo, a 19th-century castle in Belgium, it wasn’t a big surprise that the project went on to win this year’s CEDIA award for Best Integrated Home over £250,000. The project boasts an all-encompassing automation solution on a huge scale, with 65 rooms to contend with and a system that needs to provide security, management of the vast estate, entertainment, luxury and a 21st-century lifestyle without detracting from the castle’s heritage or its classic Empire-inspired interior.

Crestron technology and Philips Pronto integrate all aspects of the scheme, which involves 80 keypads, 17 in-wall touch panels and 20 wireless touch panels plus a Crestron PVID 16-zone, multi-room video system, 10 satellite sources and 11 DVD players. Audio distribution is also divided into zones — in this case 26 — using speakers from four different companies: Bowers & Wilkins, KEF, Speakercraft and Boston Acoustics.

The property’s existing art pieces and the client’s own collection require a museum-standard, climate-controlled environment. The HVAC system is fuelled by four boilers with cooling delivered via Mitsubishi air- conditioning units. Lighting control throughout the castle is provided by a Lutron Networks 8 light-control system. A whopping 49 modules control 196 dimming zones and an additional 12 modules control 48 switching zones. The all-important security provision allows the status of each room to be monitored and displayed graphically, with access control to the domain given via the Crestron touch panel.

Given the system’s complexity, a range of presets have been used to simplify operation. Each area of the castle has its own, dedicated overview page on the touch panel, enabling occupants or guests to access a number of pre-determined ‘scenes’.

The castle epitomises the ideal integrated scheme — its complex system is practically invisible.

This article was first published in IDFX Magazine.