As We Sat Above the Shore - Best Integrated Home, Americas, 2023

Inspired by an internationally famous architect, the clients who own this home wanted to ensure the design was cutting-edge and didn’t take away from the architecture. They requested high quality in all areas of the integration, one-of-a-kind elements, and that everything in the system be “totally invisible to the naked eye.” La Scala was up for the challenge and committed to conceptualizing and executing something “unbelievably fantastic.”

Most of the home has vertical wall slats in a natural wood color on the walls and ceilings, with large floor to ceiling windows looking out over the water. In a space this tall, sound pressure level was key to the integrator’s calculations. Although you can’t see the sound system, it still fills the home with high-quality sound throughout. La Scala noted that the vertical wall slats, though built for design, act as a natural sound diffusion system.

The slats also made an ideal place to “hide” the customized Crestron control keypads. The 1-inch keypads fit snugly in the 2-inch gaps between the slats, ensuring the controls are – as requested – not an obvious part of the rooms. These keypads have specially programmed scenes that control the lighting at low, medium, and high intensities so the homeowners can easily adjust depending on the time of day and/or what they’re using the space for. They can also shut down the home with the touch of a button, which is convenient for nighttime security.

The judges commended the innovative solutions in the systems, and the thoughtful design. One explained that the project “shows what can be down with proper automation in terms of system self-reliance and interoperability.” Another said, “Beautifully executed project. The bespoke design details look very well considered.”

A true, one-of-a-kind home automated to perfection.