London Design Week is fast approaching, with the event scheduled to take place at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour from March 12 to March 17. Crestron will be in attendance during the event and will even be hosting two sessions which are designed to demonstrate the ways in which home automation has been enhancing people’s lives over the last 40 years. The company will also use the opportunity to take a look at the world of virtual reality.
The first session is set to take place on the Wednesday, March 15, at 11:30am. This session will be discuss the house that changed a life through its intuive use of technology. It will centre in on the home of Harry Potter stuntman David Holmes, which was completely overhauled by Custom Sight & Sound, as documented in this CE Pro Europe case study.
An accident on set left David disable to the level of C7 tetraplegia and he now requires full time care. His home is now specially equipped with Crestron technology, however, and that has at least given him back some independence and allowed him to feel secure in his own home.
Ian Bolt of Custom Sight & Sound comments: “As an industry, we work with the world’s most advanced technology in some of the most remarkable and prestigious homes. However, once in a while we are engaged in a project which is so much more. A project where technology offers a genuinely life changing opportunity for the end user.
“Custom Sight & Sound was immensely proud to be chosen to design and install a bespoke solution for a truly remarkable individual, David Holmes. After years of discomfort and constant care, the use of Crestron technology released David from the restrictions of his environment to once again live independently. It is a remarkable story of a quite remarkable man.”
In addition to the house that changed a life, Crestron will also team up with Andrew Lucas Studio, a high-end smart home installer, to explore what virtual reality has in store for the future of interior design.
Andrew Lucas Studio is pioneering the use of virtual reality in interior design, with the company utilising the technology to create a truly immersive experience in the home.
Discussing the topic of virtual reality, Hamza A Abbas, Sales Director at Andrew Lucas Studios, explains: “More and more applications for virtual reality are emerging all the time, and one of the most rapid areas of growth to date has been seen in the architecture and interior design sectors. Our session will show how VR can revolutionise the way we present ideas, putting clients at the heart of a proposed property or interior and empowering them to engage more fully with the design process.”
“Virtual reality is becoming an increasingly important tool for many design professionals,” agrees Ben McCabe, Editor at Connected Lifestyle. “This is a wonderful opportunity for visitors to London Design Week to learn more about VR, and to see for themselves the impression it can make in terms of bringing creative projects to life.”
Both sessions will be followed by lunch. In addition to the two talks, an exhibition of vintage Crestron control products will be on show, with some dating back 20 years. Showcasing the evolution of smart home technology in both design and functionality, visitors will have access to the display throughout the week.