The House in the Air: Technological Transformation

Hello, I’m Gregory Schaller, co-founder of Schallertech alongside my life and project partner, Marianne. We want to share with you a story that is more than just a tale of design and technology—it’s our dream realized through the use of art, design, and technology.

A few years ago, we embarked on an incredible adventure: remodeling and modernizing our home, integrating cutting-edge technology and innovative design. Our goal was to turn our house into a functional, aesthetic, and enriching space.

This home, which we had dreamed about for years; built on paper, planned in our minds, was finally about to materialize.

We had always dreamed of a home that was not just a refuge from the outside world, but also a space that would promote creativity, productivity, and well-being. A place where technology and design would seamlessly intertwine to create a unique and personalized environment.

As the founder of Schallertech, a technology-focused company, we have always been fascinated by the idea of integrating technology into our daily lives in a way that enhances and simplifies them.

Building our dream home from scratch seemed overwhelming at first. But as we began to plan and design, we realized that every little detail, every decision we made, brought us one step closer to our vision.

The adventure of remodeling our home was not just a physical transformation. It was a deep dive into the intersection of technology and design, an exploration of how the two could work together to create an environment that not only looked and felt good but was also highly functional and efficient.

The smart home we have created is the result of this journey. With home automation technology integrated into every corner, our house responds to our needs and desires with a touch on our smartphone or a simple voice command. The lighting, temperature, sound, even the curtains, can all be controlled and personalized to our liking.

This is the story of how our vision of a smart home became a reality, and how technology and design allowed us to produce a space that is much more than just a place to live. It’s an extension of ourselves, a physical manifestation of our passion and commitment to innovation and excellence. And, most importantly, it’s our home—a place where we feel happy, safe, and fulfilled.

Join us on this journey as we take you through the different stages of our transformation, sharing our experiences, learnings, and tips for those who also dream of creating their own smart home.

At the start of our project, Marianne and I found ourselves with a blank canvas—an apartment over 20 years old. We had a space, a vision, and a wealth of ideas. We took the time needed to research, sketch, and discuss every detail. We wanted everything, from the room layout to the placement of electrical outlets, to reflect our lifestyle and adapt to our needs.

As engineers at Schallertech, we approached this process with a systems-based mindset. Instead of seeing the house as a collection of independent rooms, we viewed it as an interconnected ecosystem of spaces. This approach allowed us to design more efficiently and effectively, integrating technology from the start rather than adding it later.

Home automation, the technological core of our smart home, is a system that allows remote control and automation of various elements in a home, such as lighting, temperature, or appliances, through a smartphone or voice-activated device. Instead of physically moving to adjust the lights or change the temperature, we can do it with a single touch or voice command.

During the design phase, we worked closely with architects and electricians to ensure that every piece of technology we wanted to implement was possible. This included planning the location and power of electrical outlets, installing lighting and climate control systems, and even implementing an ambient sound system throughout the house.

Once the design was ready, the construction phase began. This is where our plans began to take physical shape. It was exciting to see our ideas turn into tangible realities, but it was also a challenging process full of surprises and setbacks.

One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that all the home automation systems were installed correctly. Installing these systems can be complex, as it requires a deep understanding of technology, architecture, and electricity.

But despite the challenges, we never lost sight of our vision. Every day of work, every problem we solved, brought us closer to the home of our dreams.

With construction underway, it was time to delve into the details of the systems we were going to install in our home. The beauty of home automation is that each system can be customized to suit individual needs and lifestyles. For Marianne and me, this meant finding the perfect balance between comfort, efficiency, and sustainability.

We implemented a centralized smart lighting system using DALI technology, which allows us to control the lights in every room from our mobile phone or through voice commands. Every light in the house can be dimmed or turned on at full capacity, and can be adjusted to suit our mood or the time of day. This system not only gives us complete control over the ambiance of our home but is also more energy-efficient, as we can schedule the lights to turn on and off at specific times or adjust automatically based on the available natural light.

We also installed a smart temperature control system. This system learns our temperature preferences and automatically adjusts the thermostat and fireplaces to maintain a comfortable environment. It can also detect when the house is empty and adjust the temperature to save energy. This system is another way we have managed to combine comfort and sustainability in our design.

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of our smart home is our ambient sound system. We have installed speakers in every room of the house, and we can control what is playing in each one independently. This means we can have relaxing music in the living room while receiving recipe instructions in the kitchen from an Alexa-enabled screen.

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of our journey has been the creation of our home theater. An emblematic achievement that resonates with our passion. It is one of the first Dolby Atmos 7.2.4 theaters in Colombia, and it was no easy task, but every challenge was worth it.

Our theater is more than just a hardware and software setup; it’s a portal to new worlds and experiences, a transporter through time and space. Every time we close the doors, we are fully immersed in the movie. In this theater, we applied all the teachings of Anthony Grimmani, the renowned audio engineer for George Lucas, who has visited Schallertech a couple of times to teach our team and partners the secrets of the most incredible movie theaters.

One of the most important aspects of our home theater system, and one that is often overlooked, is the acoustics of the room. With the help of our acoustic partners and our partners in Portugal, we were able to achieve perfect balance. No matter how advanced your devices are, if the room’s acoustics are not good, the audiovisual experience will be mediocre at best.

This involved considering factors such as the size and shape of the room, the materials used in the walls and floor, and the placement of furniture.

We decided to install Artnovion acoustic panels strategically placed to absorb sound where it was too strong and reflect it where it was too weak. We also opted for a special type of carpet to minimize echoes and reverberations.

The speakers were installed in precise locations, taking into account the seating arrangement to achieve uniform sound throughout the room. For the subwoofer, we chose a high-quality model that could handle low frequencies without distortion, ensuring that the deep, rumbling bass of action movies feels truly impactful.

The result is a home theater where every line of dialogue, every musical note, and every sound effect is heard with impressive clarity and fidelity. It’s truly like being in the middle of the action.

With the help of our architect, Elmer Junco, we sought to design a space that balanced functionality and aesthetics, resulting in a pleasant and efficient workspace. We equipped the kitchen with integrated appliances, combining luxury and efficiency.

In the master bedroom, we opted for a soft color palette and subdued lighting to create a relaxing atmosphere. Here, too, we implemented our home automation technology, meaning we can adjust the room’s ambiance from our bed or even before we arrive home.

This system allows us to stream video content from various sources to any room in the house. This means we can watch the same movie in the living room and the kitchen, or each person can watch what they want in their own space.

Given the size of our apartment and the type of traditional construction with large walls and columns, internet connectivity was a major concern. We decided to install a high-speed fiber-optic internet connection with a mesh WiFi network that provides a strong signal in all areas of the house, even in the most distant corners.

The Crestron system was also connected to the fireplaces we use, allowing them to be turned on via voice commands. This was achieved through a custom wireless control system for each fireplace.

To ensure that all these systems are truly easy to use, we had to carefully consider the control interfaces. We decided to use a combination of remotes, keypads, touchscreens, iPads, and voice commands through Alexa. This way, we can control any aspect of our smart home in the way that is most convenient for us at any given time.

All these systems needed a centralized place to be controlled. For this, we built an equipment room, equipped with racks to house all the necessary hardware. This room acts as the brain of our home, allowing us to control and monitor all our devices from a single point. Centralization also makes it easier to maintain the technology and avoids having to break the ceiling to find the point of failure if one occurs.

Once all the systems were installed and functioning correctly, we realized we had achieved something special. We had created a house that adapted to us, rather than the other way around. A house that learned from our behaviors and provided us with unprecedented comfort and efficiency.

But most importantly, we had created a home. A place where Marianne and I can relax, host our friends, work, learn, and grow. A place where we can be ourselves, and where technology serves as a means to enhance our daily lives, rather than a distraction or complication.

We hope that by sharing our story, you feel inspired to explore how home automation can improve your own life. Whether you’re building a house from scratch, like we did, or looking to upgrade your current home, there are a multitude of options available that can help you create a home that fits your needs and lifestyle.

As with any large-scale project, building our smart home was not without its challenges. There was a steep learning curve, especially when it came to integrating all the different systems into a cohesive home network.

One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that all our smart devices could communicate effectively with each other. This involved a great deal of research and testing to ensure compatibility with the Crestron Home OS. We eventually settled on a solution that allowed us not only to control each device from a single interface but also to create scenes and routines that involved multiple devices working together.

Another major challenge was ensuring privacy and security. As more and more devices in our home became connected to the Internet, the risk of cyberattacks also increased. We took steps to protect our home network, including using a virtual private network (VPN), and setting up firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

Despite the challenges, every effort was worth it when we finally moved into our new home. The comfort, efficiency, and convenience provided by the smart systems are unmatched. The house adapts to our needs and allows us to live our lives in a way we never thought possible.

Now, when we come home after a long day, the lights automatically turn on as we move through the house, Marianne’s favorite music starts playing, and the temperature is always perfect.

We hope that by sharing our experience, we inspire you to explore the possibility of creating your own smart home. While it may seem like a daunting task, I promise you the rewards are immense. Remember, technology is here to serve us, to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. And that’s exactly what our smart home has done for us.