According to the research firm IDC, the smart home market is projected to grow at a healthy 16.9% annual clip over the next few years. As an architect, designer, or builder, your clients likely have smart home automation listed as a high priority for their next home in Wildwood, MO.

What’s the best way to plan for home automation in your projects? In the same way you work with other professionals and trades, you’ll want to start early. Smart home technology is much more than a basic pre-wire package for low-voltage cabling. Read on to see how planning for home automation from the start will lead to smoother and faster builds for your projects – and more satisfied clients to boot.

SEE ALSO: Discover Voice-Controlled Home Automation with Josh.ai

The Basics - Cabling Infrastructure

You’re familiar with installing low-voltage wiring throughout your projects to enable systems like security and some controls. Smart home technology tends to use many different communication technologies, wired and wireless. For example, video distribution in a home theater or media room might need specific wiring, like HD-BaseT or CAT6. If a homeowner's audio tastes run to the audiophile end, they might want high-end interconnects and speaker wires in walls for integrated systems. And if security cameras are part of the plan, they often need CAT5 cabling for both connectivity and power for indoor and outdoor locations. 

Above all, the wiring infrastructure should be designed to encompass all the smart automation features a homeowner wants now and in the future. It shouldn’t limit their choices. Cabling that doesn't accommodate the systems desired may require costly changes and rework that can delay the project and add unexpected expenses.

Integrating Technology with Design

Where the technology goes can influence the design of the home. If the homeowner wants the TV mounted over a fireplace, accommodations can be made for electrical and low-voltage cabling connections. If the technology choices in connections are uncertain, installing conduit to ease running wires and cables after walls are up is an option for flexibility.

Home automation also offers many control options. Especially for lighting, programmable keypads and touchscreens can replace numerous standard light switches for banks of lights. These controllers can also go beyond lighting management; they might incorporate motorized shading, temperature, and media control, too. A smart thermostat solution can also separate temperature sensing from the thermostat location if needed. A homeowner may want a thermostat in an out-of-the-way place that doesn’t take up wall space where a favored piece of art would look better.

All these options require planning for where wiring should run and where wireless technologies can go to complement home design without getting in the way. A smart home automation system like Crestron offers a vast array of control options, but to integrate it well, it should be planned early in the process.

Get ahead of the curve and anticipate your clients’ wishes for smart technology and home automation. By working with a seasoned professional team like Elite Technology Solutions, your projects can be showcases of well-integrated technology. To learn more, call us today at (636) 939-4474 or reach out on our contact page. We look forward to working with you!