The communities of design and technology collaborated last month with an expert panel discussion on how architects, designers and residential technology integrators work together to create innovative spaces that bring style to life.

AHT Global’s EJ Feulner was part of three other panelists that gave an insightful presentation at the Crestron Showroom in the D&D Building in Manhattan for the DDB SpringMarket 2016 event. It was standing room only with nearly fifty architects and designers attending the session. Crestron organized the panel discussion and invited AHT Global to give an insightful point of view on how to manage and collaborate with other design experts when designing luxury home technology projects around the world.

The panelists included:

Bryan Celli from Crestron was the moderator of the event. David Scott and Bonnie Steves, both interior designers, gave their perspective about their approach to working with home technology specialists and clients. Dave Raines from Osbee Industries and EJ Feulner from AHT Global were the residential technology experts on hand to give insight on the planning, communication and implementation of today’s luxury smart homes.

Residential Technology Present and Future

EJ answered questions regarding the present and future of home technology. He noted the emergence of the internet of things and how the amount of smart devices in a residential home has grown considerably from where it was only a few years ago. With the number of devices connected, he stated, the network has never been more important. Security and reliability are a must in todays connected homes. These, combined with ease of system operation are the most important aspects we bring to a project.

Other questions EJ answered centered around the workflow and relationship AHT Global has with its interior designer and architectural partners. EJ gave examples of previous projects and how they were managed from the conceptualization phase to the implementation and long term support phases. He also gave tips when to bring a technology integrator into a project- the earlier the better! AV integrators need to be in the initial design phase to be able to coordinate with the architect the layout of all the systems to be integrated into the home. If a home technology specialist is brought into the process too late, it could cost the homeowner money and project delays.

What Do Homeowners Want?

David and Bonnie fielded questions regarding what their clients are looking for most when it comes to the technology in their home. They both were quick to mention security as a top priority for their clients. The need for their family and prized possessions to remain safe and secure was top of mind. Almost equal to security, was system reliability and user experience.  Homeowners want to be able to easily control technology without any worries. If a problem does arise, it is very important that they have a reputable company who they trust that is available at any time to solve the problem.

In discussing the event, EJ reports: “It was a great opportunity to show the design and architecture communities that there are like minded professionals who value design, simplicity and hidden technology within the luxury building community around the world. We want to stress that we are here to simplify the lives of both the clients who will live in the home and the designers and architects who will design the home. This is paramount to us and our mission.”

At the end of the presentation, there was a Q&A discussion with the rest of the architects and designers who attended the event. For more questions about this event or questions about residential technology, feel free to contact one of our residential technology specialist by clicking the button below.