Kensington Subterranean Super-home

This was a meticulously planned home automation project at a landmark London residence in which we also developed Europe’s first subterranean IMAX home theatre.

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The Brief

Upon recommendation as London’s specialists in residential home automation and bespoke home cinemas, Cornflake was commissioned by Size Group, London’s high quality residential specialist, for this project. Working with all stakeholders, our role was to design and develop all the smart home, audio visual, IT and Control Services within a super-prime Victorian property in Kensington, and for a neighbouring Mews property, which was being linked via a double-storey basement. We were also appointed to design and install Europe’s first ever residential IMAX home theatre in a subterranean setting, accessed from the main residence.

The Project

As part of the design team, numerous meetings were held on-site before any construction work started to create the newer elements of the property. The project included many unique technology requirements that had to be carefully communicated and articulated with all parties. To start, we provisioned leased-line connectivity so that the entire property was served with sufficient bandwidth for day-to-day use and for the home office. This also included accelerated download speeds for data-intensive IMAX cinema content.

Very early on in the design stage, the dedicated space for the cinema was formed with a blueprint, allowing for additional excavation work to accommodate the multiple rows of seating, together with a full height and width IMAX projector screen.

In order to respect the heritage of this exceptional property, and in accordance with the architect and interior designer’s plans, all speakers in the home had to be completely concealed in every room, yet be of the highest quality, which meant that we had to design and select specific products on a room-by-room basis to coordinate with the interior aesthetic. In addition to internal audio, we also recommended external audio solutions for the garden, buried within planters and landscaping.

Another unique element was the installation of a piece of digital art in the main residence consisting of four portrait screens for which we designed a bespoke picture frame surround to discreetly conceal cabling and brackets.

We also developed a personalised Cornflake app with an easy-to-use graphic user interface that was custom-designed for this property, where all automated aspects can be controlled and adjusted within the home using fixed or roaming iPads, or remotely via a smartphone or tablet.

Smart Security

Using Crestron as the control hardware, we created a custom graphic user interface (GUI) on fixed and roaming iPads to enable a variety of interfacing capabilities with specialist sub-systems including a fire alarm, intruder alarm, CCTV and Building Management System (BMS), all with flexible programming.

Smart Lighting

Working with the lighting designers, we specified Lutron Lighting Controls as they feature best-in-class dimming controls and work with on-wall control devices and with the Cornflake user interface where lighting themes and scenes can be created in every room.

Smart Blinds and Curtains

Where electronic blinds and curtains were required in bedrooms and bathrooms, we specified Lutron shading as the window solution as they are silent, energy efficient and work seamlessly with on-wall control devices and with the Cornflake user interface with pre-set options.

Smart Heating and Cooling

An energy efficient solution, smart heating and cooling is pre-set for every room in the home and can be pre-programmed using the Cornflake graphic user interface. Time-saving, it also works with smart blinds and curtains to keep rooms cool in the summer months and warm in winter.

The IMAX Home Theatre

With the space for this state-of-the-art 15-seat home cinema excavated and ready for the next stage, we designed all the AV/ IT and control services for the IMAX, coordinating with the IMAX-TCL team in China. This was in order to meet specific IMAX brand standards. We installed the IMAX 7.2 audio system, the proprietary audio configuration for surround sound in addition to the full height and width IMAX dual projection system with image monitoring and automated calibration.

Working closely with the interior designer, we created a tiered seating arrangement with all seating positions specifically configured to have a clear, unobscured view of the screen. Cinema room finishes, including stretched fabric walling to conceal the speakers were designed in collaboration, as were the acoustic treatments to optimise audio quality and sound system performance for all seating positions. Cornflake was the winner of Best Home Cinema over £340,000 at the 2018 CEDIA Awards for this project.

Smart Audio Visual

Throughout the rest of the property, we installed a range of discrete and high-performance audio solutions using products specifically selected for each room. These include the use of Sonance, Martin Logan and Totem Install speakers for good quality background audio. Except for the media room all other TV’s in the home have improved audio via Sonos soundbars with width-matched TV grilles.

For the media room in the home, a soundbar could not be accommodated within the joinery below the integrated screen so our solution was to install the 85” Sony TV with Artison dual-mono LCR speakers and a surround subwoofer for 5.1 surround sound.

Finer Details

We curate every project using smart home technologies from leading global industry partners.

Lutron Lighting Controls throughout the property via Crestron GUI and app.

Smart climate control set up for every room which can be pre-set or adjusted using the Cornflake GUI

Lutron Shading used for all electronic blinds and curtains

Automated shading (utilising existing motors and recesses where possible)

Enterprise data network and WiFi coverage throughout the property. Internal and external. Future provisions and terminated wired infrastructure to support system upgrades.

A range of discrete and high-performance audio solutions using products selected specifically for that room/purpose

Centralised video distribution installed to minimise in-room equipment and allow easy system management and long-term servicing and aftercare

Bespoke Cornflake graphic user interface capturing client-specific customisation as well as our in-house expertise and recommendations

IMAX Palais Home Theatre