How PDL Solutions Elevate the Smart & Sustainable Bunker House
Discover how PDL C-Bus smart home systems elevate designer and builder Futureflip’s luxurious, smart, and sustainable beachside Bunker House build.
Getting away from it all to relax at the beach doesn’t have to mean going back to basics with design. In fact, a well-designed smart home system can make relaxation even easier. Bunker House, built by innovative design and build company Futureflip, is the perfect example. Find out how this spectacular beachfront property applies PDL electrical solutions, from smart home solutions to EV charging systems, to make relaxation easy for its owners.
About Bunker House’s design
Getting away from it all to relax at the beach doesn’t have to mean going back to basics with design. In fact, a well-designed smart home system can make relaxation even easier. Bunker House, built by innovative design and build company Futureflip, is the perfect example. This spectacular beachfront property sits atop the hillside in Gerringong on New South Wales’ south coast, offering guests sweeping sea views and the knowledge that everything they need is literally at their fingertips.
Bunker House is the creation of Futureflip’s founding director Neil Hipwell. The ocean-front home has a raw, stripped-back look that belies its luxurious interior. Its stone and concrete construction echoes the war-time bunkers dotted along the coast and contributes to the passive solar design principles that are a hallmark of Futureflip builds.
Bunker House’s smart features
Built as a sustainable luxury escape for Neil’s family and friends, Bunker House combines PDL smart home automation with energy efficiency to create a home where every comfort has been considered — from full climate control to an outdoor entertaining system, to EV chargers.
Set across three levels, the home’s complex features include a media room, intercom, indoor/outdoor audio system, steam room, heated pool, irrigation, air con and underfloor heating, automated blinds, shutters and windows, and security cameras.
Using PDL C-Bus Smart Home Automation System
With so many elements, Neil wanted the property to be simple to use for anyone who stayed there, especially as it is also available to rent. “I wanted everything to be controlled off my phone and off the screens throughout the house. If my parents are here and they don’t know how to do something, I want to be able to do it for them from wherever I am.”
Tom Ryan of Ryelec Automation & Energy says the impressive scale of the home and its suite of features made it an ideal candidate for full smart home automation using PDL SpaceLogic C-Bus, a smart home wiring system. “We had to make it as easy as possible for someone to enter the house and know how to use it,” says Tom.
C-Bus gives oversight and control of a property by linking electronic elements like lighting, audio-visual, security, appliances, heating and even garden features in one easy-to-use system managed via touch-screen wall panels and a phone app. “C-Bus is what everyone interacts with in every room,” explains Tom. “The panels have little screens so you can label everything, making it a lot easier to use such a heavily automated home.”
Built-in modes such as Home, Away, and Going Out are customised to activate features like air conditioning or pool heating, or to shut everything down, with a single screen tap.
“We didn’t compromise with the automation,” says Neil. “Wherever I am in the world, I can control everything from my phone. If the grass looks a little bit dry, I can hit the sprinklers,” he laughs. Additionally, Tom says PDL C-Bus Smart home is a fantastic solution. “Every house that we’ve put C-Bus in, people love it. It’s easy to use and we never have any dramas.”
Energy efficiency with EVlink home charging
The energy efficient approach to Bunker House encompasses its building materials through to the addition of solar panels and rainwater storage, as well as the smart home automation to eliminate excessive energy use. A Schneider Electric EVlink home charging station on the driveway completes the picture.
Tom Ryan says that the rapid growth in EV ownership has seen a surge in demand for residential EV chargers, and installing the EVlink Home charger for guests at Bunker House really enhances the property’s offering. “Guests can jump in their car, head to Bunker House, and recharge throughout their stay without having to worry about finding public charging stations.”
He says the EVlink Home charger has many other benefits too. “This is a 3-phase charger which provides far superior charging time than standard chargers,” says Tom. “Most importantly, this charger has a peak controller. This constantly monitors how much power is being used and will change the capacity of the charger to not overload the electrical supply of the house. Guests can also monitor the charging from the screens inside the house.”
Additionally, EVlink Home chargers are weatherproof and robust, allowing them to be wall-mounted inside a garage or outside. Its simple ‘plug and charge’ operation means vehicles can be charged quickly, safely and cost effectively.
How smart features elevate living experience
According to Neil, Bunker House and its features have been life changing. “For us as busy people, hanging out with friends isn’t like it used to be. With Bunker House, it’s created a place for us to enjoy quality time with our friends and family, which is something we didn’t have before — it’s created a whole new dimension of life.”
Despite Bunker House’s complexity, Neil can be reassured that its smart features will let him easily stay on top of maintenance, energy usage, and security — regardless of where he is in the home. This way, its well-designed smart home system makes relaxation easy for Neil.
No matter if you’re looking to build a complex vacation home like Bunker House or a relatively simpler place for your family to live, relaxation is key. PDL’s smart solutions can give you that peace of mind from knowing that everything at home is under control.
Interested in having a smart home but not sure where to begin? Browse our Smart Home Solutions page for some inspiration, information, and planning advice. Once you have an idea of what you’d like to achieve, you can talk to your electrician about having a smart home system installed that fits you and your family’s needs.
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