Building Christchurch’s ‘Most Impressive Man Cave’ with PDL
Find out how Wayne and Aimee used PDL C-Bus to build various sections of their home, labelled the ‘Most Impressive Man Cave’ in Christchurch.
Christchurch homeowners Wayne and Aimee’s home — dubbed ‘Christchurch’s Most Impressive Man Cave’ — is a one-of-a-kind showcase of creatively applying home automation, featuring a submarine-themed theatre, a showroom full of sci-fi figures, and automated home security. All of this was achieved with some clever design and creative integration of PDL’s SpaceLogic C-Bus Home Automation System. Find out more about Wayne and Aimee’s home and how C-Bus is used to make Wayne’s creative visions come to life there.
The story behind the ‘Most Impressive Man Cave’
There are smart homes, and then there’s the imaginative and interactive home of Christchurch couple Wayne and Aimee – where home control meets giant transformers, a tree house and a submarine themed home theatre room.
Christchurch homeowner Wayne is a big fan of home automation. Ten years ago, he installed PDL by Schneider Electric’s C-Bus Home Automation system with Matrix Automation electrician Barry Neil to automatically control lighting and audio in Wayne’s lounge. This let him turn on the TV, control his surround sound, and dim the lights with the push of a button. “I didn’t want to have to wander around the house switching stuff on and off. So, with Barry we automated a bunch of switching that made things effortless,” says Wayne.
At the time, Wayne’s first foray into automation was almost considered a once-in-a-lifetime ‘Star Trek moment’. Turns out it was just the beginning, with Wayne deciding to expand his existing system to build a new home entertainment area with some ‘wow’ factor. This would be the start of Wayne and Barry’s journey to create Christchurch’s ‘Most Impressive Man Cave’, combining two innovative minds to achieve new heights with even more expansions in the future.
Wayne and Aimee’s home theatre
Deciding on a submarine theme
Wayne, an engineer who co-owns an aluminium joinery business, originally envisaged a big screen mounted in a faux rock wall. Looking to test his ideas, he got together with long-time friend and special effects artist Dean Johnstone – the owner of Dream It Limited and a former chief signwriter for Peter Jackson’s King Kong film. Dean also made the mammoth bones for the movie 10,000 BC.
But after a few beers with Dean, Wayne’s initial entertainment room idea took on a whole new direction – as a submarine wreck themed theatre room on a deserted island. “We wanted a point of difference. At the time the house was modern, new, but quite sterile. The submarine is just another whole world,” said Wayne.
The 9x6 metre home theatre seats around 20 people inside the hull of a decaying submarine. The submarine also comes with a themed bar, built with materials that looked like they’d been scavenged from an ocean beach. Its interior is fashioned from laminated and treated materials, creating the impression of a submarine that’s been ran aground with a torn steel look. It also features a periscope, sonar ping, and torpedoes that look as if they’re leaking plutonium with the right lighting. All these details showcase the effort dedicated to make this space immersive.
Taking the theatre to the next level
But Wayne wanted to take it to another level; to make the theatre come alive. He decided to add dramatic effects that he could pre-programme and control. Wayne contacted Barry to bring the automation side of the project to life and ensure it would be easy to operate.
“Everything we’ve done is different – I hate copying,” said Wayne. “We wanted to introduce the element of surprise and wow factor. But with that, the technology has got to be easy to use After being given the extraordinary project brief, Barry’s expertise and experience with the system came to the forefront. After getting a clear understanding of Wayne’s vision and requirements, Barry translated that specification into the system and programming with the help of PDL C-Bus Smart Home Automation System.
Inside the submarine, Wayne and Aimee use a remote to activate simple pre-programmed commands that orchestrate approximately 60 switches controlling DVD players, SKY TV, sound effects, the bar fridge, heating and ventilation. They can activate a sonar ‘ping’ and spotlights that illuminate the point of impact where rocks have penetrated the submarine’s main body. Accompanying sounds of waves spilling through the wreck add realism to the pending doom of being caught in a stricken submarine.
A ‘break-glass’ fire switch plunges the room into total darkness and activates a smoke machine and emergency alarm, simulating a fire emergency. Hundreds of LED lights are programmed to change sequence every four minutes, adding flashes of surrealism to the whole experience.
Wayne and Aimee’s showroom and workshop
More recently, Wayne and Aimee have created a new building after the 2011 earthquake: a 350 sqm showroom and car workshop, which houses a fleet of six classic cars and a retro garage-themed bar, complete with dilapidated petrol bowser. It’s the ultimate venue for Wayne and Aimee to host friends and fellow motorsport enthusiasts for the Bathurst 1,000 race.
The workshop features four eight-foot replicas of movie icons the Alien, the Predator, and Transformers. Crafted from car and motorbike parts and weighing in at 500kg each, these monsters are wired into the C-Bus system, which sequences animation, including LED eyes, a laser gun, and other lighting effects, providing a new focal point at different stages of the evening.
The submarine-themed room is the centrepiece of the modern two-storied home, showcasing just what’s possible when imagination meets clever automation. And all of this was created for fun and family enjoyment. “We did it mostly for our family. The kids have grown up with this stuff, and they love it. I just love seeing them and their friends in there having fun.” Wayne
Wayne and Aimee’s home’s security features
Security is an important feature of Wayne and Aimee’s home. Smart security is more than just simple protection; it also keeps a lid on insurance premiums.
C-Bus technology plays a key role, connecting a recently installed gate sensor with CCTV. A unique iPhone ringtone alerts Wayne and Aimee to vehicles waiting at their gated entrance. Answering the call streams live video of the waiting vehicle to a nominated mobile phone. If it’s someone they’re expecting, then a simple touch-screen command opens the electric gate, allowing the vehicle to drive on to the property. Wayne and Aimee can close the gate remotely, too.
The setup is especially useful for granting site access to tradespeople (and closing the gate behind them when they depart) when the family is away on holiday. There’s no messing about with passwords. “We’re not trying to be Big Brother. But when you’ve got so many people working on the property it’s good to see what’s going on and who’s on site,” said Wayne.
The next step for the ‘Most Impressive Man Cave’
Wayne and Barry are already plotting the next extension to the project. Over the years, Barry and Wayne have extended C-Bus controls to outdoor lighting, windows, house lock-up, gas fires, and even some basic lighting control in the kids’ treehouse outside.;
They’ve also added remote control for the home’s underfloor heating and heat pumps, making sure the house is warm when the family gets home. These appliances can be turned off remotely too, saving on time, money, and energy. Wayne describes these tasks as “housekeeping”.
Wayne and Aimee’s home improvements have all been unique and high-tech. Here, C-Bus offered a solution that would allow them to programme these spaces in a distinctive way. It’s a project that has been expanded upon for over 10 years with further expansion plans. PDL C-Bus opens doors to new possibilities and creates a framework that ensures homeowners can run wild with their imagination. “The ability to customise and expand via the continuous innovation and development of the C-Bus system has solved problems and created an extraordinary home for an engineer with an imagination.” says Barry.
Get creative with PDL C-Bus
Wayne and Aimee’s home is a fantastic example of how far smart home automation can take you with your imagination. If you’re interested in having a customisable and expandable smart home system installed, PDL C-Bus could be the right solution for you. Want to get started? Check out our C-Bus page to discover the range, find out what it can do for you, and find an accredited installer.
Discover PDL C-Bus Smart Home Automation System
Feeling inspired to create your very own creative smart home? Discover our PDL SpaceLogic C-Bus system and find out how you can get started with smart home automation
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