Savant Smart Home Technology Arrives in Land of the Midnight Sun

TSP Smart Spaces and sister company Nordic Smart Spaces, technology integration firms specializing in audio/video and automation system design and installation, leveraged 27 years of experience to bring smart home technology to a development featuring 71 luxury apartments in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland.

Reykjavik is the land of the midnight sun, and a beautiful destination for seasonal travel and tourism. The apartment complex, called Austurhöfn, is located on the waterfront next to the old harbor. It features a stylish modern design with such amenities as panoramic windows and granite countertops.

Austurhöfn illustrates how smart technology, as a part of the fundamental design plan, can bring added value and enhanced lifestyle to residents of these upscale multi-dwelling urban homes.

When TSP came aboard, it was clear their objective was to differentiate the Austurhöfn residences from anything else. The goal was to offer a scalable smart home that could, in the end, meet the needs of residents. The systems had to be affordable, occupy minimal space, create a narrative for the sales team and be easily serviced.

“Savant worked with us every step of the way on this project, and their proven success as a leading smart home supplier, longevity in the marketplace and willingness to participate in the design process inspired confidence in the developer as we moved forward,” explained TSP President Michael Oh.

A Starting Point

The smart home hardware, including the Savant Host (the hub for the system), fits neatly into a small equipment rack. The rack is located in the laundry room of each Austurhöfn apartment.

It is standard code for residential wiring to be enclosed within PVC tubing in Iceland. Oh explained that the presence of these wiring channels makes it easy to accommodate changes and upgrades for each resident.

Leveraging the scalability of the Savant smart home ecosystem, the TSP team created a base package for Austurhöfn homeowners that included the Savant Pro Host and a Savant Smart Multistat Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat, providing lighting and environmental control as well as remote door entry control accessible via the Savant Pro App for iOS or Android devices.

Utilizing the Savant Pro App, residents have access to change the temperature, create HVAC schedules and even remotely adjust their thermostat to raise the temperature on their way home from work, arriving to an apartment that is toasty warm while maintaining energy efficiency throughout the day.

Available Options

TSP then created end-user options and presented them in packages much like luxury car brands offer packages to their customers. Optional smart home features for Austurhöfn residents include amenities such as Savant’s Pro Remote X2, a sound bar, Amazon Alexa voice command integration, control of motorized shades, and upgrades to the whole-house entertainment system including premium flat-screen displays and high-performance invisible loudspeakers that all become part of Savant’s intuitive smart home ecosystem.

The Savant Pro Remote X2 is a handheld smart home controller that provides a full range of control for Services and Scenes, including entertainment, lighting, climate, and shades. The Pro Remote X2 features an all-aluminum chassis available in three finishes, sleek, easy-to-press backlit buttons and a 3.1-inch high-resolution glass touch screen.

Entertainment

The foundation of the optional entertainment system for Austurhöfn residents, Savant’s IP Audio 50 is engineered to be compact. It can be mounted either vertically or horizontally as applications dictate. Users will enjoy audio emanating from four amplified stereo zones (50-watts per channel) as well as access to popular streaming service providers and Apple AirPlay connectivity. The IP Audio 50 offers a broad array of inputs and outputs as well as other useful features that make it a highly versatile entertainment/smart home solution.

Savant Scenes

It ‘s easy for Austurhöfn residents to enjoy the convenience of Savant Scenes. Device settings are activated simultaneously by the touch of a button or via a single voice command. As an example, users can create and name each Savant Scene based on functionality. A scene called “Relax” might dim the lights and begin playing a favorite jazz playlist. A “Good Morning” scene could raise the blinds and turn on the news. Residents can activate scenes manually or scheduled them to start later. Finally, Savant offers integrations with popular voice engines like Alexa and Google Home.

Customer Service

TSP’s Icelandic subsidiary, Nordic Smart Spaces, is located in Reykjavik and provides first-class service to the 71 Austurhöfn residences. This localized service capability is ideal for efficiently responding to requests for new features or any other required maintenance.

TSP is also quite adept at remote management. The company  made updates and other requests easy by connecting to the system using Savant’s cloud-based Central Management solution. CM streamlines remote service by integrators while allowing rapid response times to keep the residents smiling.

“By designing these luxury living spaces to include smart home functionality from the outset, developers of multi-dwelling residential projects are utilizing the latest technologies to provide enhanced lifestyle for homeowners – and buyers have responded to these features with tremendous enthusiasm,” Oh explained. “Savant was an outstanding partner for us through the entire process, and the residents at Austurhöfn appreciate the intelligent functionality and intuitive user experience that has become a hallmark of the Savant brand.”

Equipment Used:

• • Smart Host – https://www.savant.com/host
  • Smart Multistat – https://www.savant.com/climate
  • Pro App – https://www.savant.com/savant-pro-app
  • Pro Remote X2 (optional) – https://www.savant.com/pro-remote-x2
  • IP Audio 50 (optional) – https://www.savant.com/whole-home-audio