The house with no switches, just smart home systems

When Christchurch couple Paul Williams and Alex Hazard were sorting out lighting for their new home, little did they know how much it would help create a truly smart home. The pair was in the middle of a post-quake rebuild when they visited PDL by Schneider Electric’s Vision Studio in Addington. They were aiming to create a brand-new, modern, and energy efficient two-storey house on their one-acre plot.

“The initial consultation was mainly about switch styles to match the interior they were planning,” says PDL’s Home Solutions Consultant Amy Green. “They didn’t want wall clutter. Then I showed them the home automation side of things.”

“Initially, we didn’t contemplate putting any smart technology into the electronics, bar LED lighting,” says Paul Williams. “But Wiser Home had good features that we felt would complement the house itself. It was a smart move because the house needed that technology to portray its quality.”

Designed by Context Architects, the couple’s house was created with their retirement and old age in mind — it is a home that will look after them. It features solar panels, an air purification system, electronic door locks, thermal design innovations, and even motion sensor taps.

With the build already underway, Amy Green put them in touch with Matrix Automation to discuss smart home possibilities. Matrix Director Barry Neil describes it as an ‘11th hour call’ as plans were about to be finalised. His team moved quickly to install C-Bus wiring throughout the home to enable Wiser Smart Home connections. Barry then worked with Williams and Hazard to bring the vision for their automated home to life.

About PDL by Schneider Electric C-Bus with Wiser Home

C-Bus with Wiser is PDL by Schneider Electric’s home automation system. It integrates home technology into one solution – controlling everything from lights to heating, to music, security, and even blinds and sprinklers.

By running the Wiser Home system through C-Bus, the microprocessor-controlled wiring system, you control multiple devices through your smart device and even integrate third party systems for further functionality.

Keeping their old age in mind, Williams and Hazard ensured their home would be easy to access and live in. “We want the house to think for us when we’re older,” says Williams. “We don’t have to worry about locking up — when you go through the door it’s locked and you can use a keypad to open it. The whole house is built for disabled access so it’s all level entry. We didn’t really want to move on [after the earthquake] because we’ve got an acre of land, and so we’ve built something to use as our ‘departure lounge’.”

“The house is smart,” agrees Amy. “They don’t have to think about doing anything, it just does it as they walk through it. The whole idea is that the house is working for them, rather than them trying to work the house.”