Many Star Wars and Star Trek fans dream of one day stepping foot into the world they’ve watched grow around them for decades. Dreaming wasn’t good enough for one California homeowner, however, so on this May the 4th, we’re stepping into the smart home made local integration company ZettaComm and integrator Shawnon Parkinson that made his dreams a reality. 

‘Help Me Obi Wan, You’re My Only Hope’

To start, ZettaComm was going to need some help along the way, so Parkinson got in touch with renowned California architect Malika Junaid of M.Designs Architects to create a fusion of technology and design realistic enough to make any Star Wars or Star Trek Fan fan double take. 

Throughout the project, Junaid had the intention to ‘push the envelope’ both with technology and architecture, resulting in a unique collaborative process between her and Parkinson.

For example, she designed an airplane hangar door that opened up to a beautiful hillside and valley view; an indoor pool lined with a tile replica of a segment of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel painting; a catwalk that runs over the pool and leads to a “Star Trekian” dining room table that allows for both an indoor and outdoor dining experience; and even an air-pressurized elevator that “shoots” riders up to the third floor.

Meanwhile, Parkinson installed an Elan gSC10 as the master controller, supported by a g1 controller to give the home smoother controls than Luke’s X-Wing. Every facet of the luxury home is now automated, including climate, audio, video, security, lighting, indoor pool, jacuzzi, and especially the Star Wars-themed Kaleidescape home theater. It’s almost like having the force yourself.

The Future of Digital Lighting & Control

As a custom integrator, lighting is in demand. Effective communication, education and showcasing the value proposition of LED light fixtures in conjunction with integrative control systems are the keys to overcoming challenges and closing sales in this specialized market. Join us as we discuss the future of digital lighting and control with David Warfel from Light Can Help You and Patrick Laidlaw and Mark Moody from AiSPIRE. Register Now! 

ZettaComm even configured the Elan system with a slick custom “movie mode” scene that can set the scene before you can finish saying “May the 4th be with you.” A flick of the switch and the system dims the lights, sconces, stairs and LED behind the screen.

Parkinson also outfitted the theater with stretched HD Acoustic Images absorption paneling that look and act like movie posters, but have special acoustic properties. The theater’s power conditioning is handled by the Furman IT-Reference 20i Power Conditioner.

Additionally, Parkinson installed Niles CM8PR and CM7SI in-ceiling speakers inside, with a Sunfire HRSIW8AMP subwoofer amp and a Crown Cdi 2 | 600 to power Niles Landscape Series speakers, creating a 360-degree outdoor audio experience for the exterior of the home.

“There were a lot of innovative design elements that we needed to integrate the with Elan system to truly deliver the seamlessness that she was looking for,” Parkinson explains. “The installation was certainly a challenge, but thanks to the system’s flexibility, we were able to get very creative with the install and really show off the full capabilities of the system.”

Tech that Would Feel Right at Home in the Star Wars/Star Trek Universes

In addition to automating unique elements throughout the home, Parkinson was tasked with building out a sophisticated yet seamless security system to span the sci-fi dream home.

“Security was a major priority for Junaid and the decision to go with the new Elan Surveillance camera line was an easy one,” says Parkinson.

The home’s various AV elements can be accessed using a custom-mounted Elan 12-inch touch panel, wall-mounted touch panels that wouldn’t seem out of place in either Star Wars or Star Trek franchises, as well as multiple mobile devices equipped with the Elan App.

Throughout the rest of the home, ZettaComm integrated a sophisticated dual-lighting system with Lutron to control and automate lighting throughout the entire property.

To protect the whole-home system, they installed multiple BlueBOLT-enabled Panamax power protection units, including the SM3-PRO, MB1500, VT4315-Pro and the M4000-Pro.

Along with the power and surge protection it affords, Junaid likes the flexibility of being able to perform remote hard reboots and remote monitoring of network status.

ZettaComm also installed a GoControl Smart Controller for secure and easy operation of the hangar door opener, and relied on Xantech EX Series HDMI cables provide the necessary high-speed connections for all the home’s 4K multimedia security sources.

“This install went really smoothly and the collaborative process working with Junaid was such a pleasurable experience,” says Junaid. “We were able to get an amazing amount of work done in a short amount of time and it all turned out just as Junaid envisioned.”

And Junaid echoed the thoughts from the architect and homeowner perspective, saying: “Technology and design, when paired well together, can create the ultimate living experience in today’s connected culture. Working with ZettaComm and Elan, I knew the possibilities were limitless.”

Click here to see more photos of this sci-fi smart haven and May the 4th be with You! 

• Page 1