Bill Lally is president/CEO of Mode:Green, a technology integrator with a primary focus on energy-efficient smart solutions for the luxury hospitality market. Founded in 2010, Mode:Green also has select clients in luxury residential, commercial, and even government (NASA is a Mode:Green client.)
Based in New York City, Lally had to figure out an effective way of showcasing his company’s advanced luxury lifestyle concepts at events, tradeshows, etc. His stunning solution was to equip a 1977 Airstream 31-foot Land Yacht as a rolling showroom, presenting his unique, ultra-precise installations that feature advanced, design-conscious technologies such as James Loudspeaker entertainment products.
“This rolling showroom enables us to bring the technology to the client and simultaneously emphasize the value of our integration services…and we can do this pretty much anywhere in North America,” Lally explained. Mode:Green has clients as far as Grand Cayman, Europe, and all over the U.S.
5-Star Airstream
Mode:Green is the first technology integrator Official Brand Partner of Forbes Travel Guide, selected for its record of excellence and innovation in the luxury hospitality industry. Lally decided to unveil the tricked-out Airstream at the Forbes Travel Guide’s annual VERIFIED 5-star award ceremony in California, which involved a trek across the U.S. for the Airstream. In addition to James Loudspeaker, Mode:Green had support from Ketra Lighting (Lutron) as well as premium suppliers to luxury hotels such as Moet & Chandon, Nespresso, 12.29 Scent, and Luxe Bloom.
“During and after the award ceremony, crowds of people came to party in the Airstream and the James Loudspeaker music system blew them away with a combination of sound quality and invisibility,” Lally said. “We were basically running a VIP club in that trailer.”
Lally began the Airstream’s evolution by stripping the iconic aluminum camper of its clear coat and rubbing the surface to a blinding sheen. Then it was outfitted with solar panels on the roof, and the interior completely reworked as a technology design showcase.
The Airstream now features a staggering 97 light fixtures from stem to stern, and there are no interrupted sight lines as your eyes scan the elegantly curved interior walls. These curved surfaces and sweeping sight lines made loudspeaker integration quite challenging.
“Luxury hotels typically use top-level architects and designers, and they won’t tolerate technology devices impeding the décor,” Lally noted. He turned to James Loudspeaker for an architectural loudspeaker solution that would deliver superior sound quality yet virtually disappear into the Airstream’s newfound design ethic.
Small but Mighty
With this in mind, Lally chose the James Loudspeaker Small Aperture 42SA-4, a high-performance architectural speaker that resides within the wall. All that is visible from inside the Airstream is a perfectly matched, ultra-compact, fully customizable 3-inch grille.
The 42SA-4 delivers a refined, full-range musical experience including high-output levels, defined bass response and wide dispersion into the listening area – all while meeting the most stringent aesthetic demands of discerning interior designers. Though compact, the 42SA-4 will effortlessly fill any residential or commercial space with music through an astonishingly small 3-inch aperture. The 2-way 42SA-4 utilizes proprietary aluminum drivers including a 4-inch woofer and a 2-inch midrange/tweeter nestled within an aircraft-grade aluminum enclosure, making it an ideal solution for humid environments such as powder rooms, luxury yachts and more.
Bass of Operations
Lally also integrated two James Loudspeaker 1000PT 10-inch PowerPipe architectural subwoofers into the Airstream’s custom bench seating, giving the entertainment system extended and detailed bass response. The PowerPipe utilizes a flexible tube to move bass energy from a hidden location into the listening space through a visually unassuming grille. The bass information enters the cabin of the Airstream through custom toe kick grilles that blend seamlessly with décor. The PowerPipe toe kicks can be constructed to match any HVAC vent or other detail, enabling integrators to deliver superb low frequencies into any space.
“James Loudspeaker supports us regardless of what sort of project we get ourselves into,”Lally stated. “We recently went to them with a 14-foot video wall project and they built us a curved sound bar solution to match…no other vendor does stuff like that.”
Behind the Scenes
The audio system in the Airstream utilizes high-performance car audio amplifiers to work with the 12-volt batteries onboard. Lally uses both Sonos and a Bluetooth connection from his phone to a marine 12-volt head unit that provides full preamp functionality. The amplifier was installed in a utility area that also houses the AC/DC inverter for the trailer, a 200 Watt solar panel inverter, an Optima 12v battery, the Lutron Homeworks processor, a Lutron Hybrid Repeater, a Lutron 10- channel shade controller, a Lutron Connect interface, a Ketra network controller, both 12-volt and 120-volt breaker panels, an interface for the external generator and a GPS tracking system. Control for shades and Ketra lighting is managed by Lutron, and Lally noted tremendous support from Lutron’s Cecilia Ramos throughout this project. Video in the Airstream is provided by an LG OLED 55-inch Wallpaper TV that interfaces with the James Loudspeaker entertainment system.
