Cool House believes there are 3 keys to success in creating the integrated home technology systems that custom and luxury home buyers are demanding...

Proper System Design
There are many variables to consider when designing a fully integrated, whole-house automation solution. Not only must you take into account how each component might interact with the others, but you must account for a plethora of situations. For example, how do you want the lights to react at sunrise, sunset, when no one is home, when someone returns, at dinner time, when starting a movie, and on and on. Furthermore, how are modifications designed in, will the program have to be changed to modify the cooling system schedule, or will the homeowner be able to perform this action? Will this function be password protected to keep the kids from tinkering with it? Most dissatisfaction from these types of systems come from poor design methodologies. Cool House employs a design process and internal standards to ensure the owner is getting what they expect to get. The following are three key components to this...

   - Functional Definition: Determine which systems are impacted and
       how they will interact with the total solution. Determine physical
       constraints such as size, ambient lighting, decor, colors, etc.

   - Define Human Interface Requirements: What are the ages of those
       who will use the system? Are there any disabilities to design for?
       Is anyone in the home colorblind? What functionality does each
       person get to use?

   - Team Collaboration: During final functional design and equipment
       selection, the team will meet frequently to discuss alternative
       and reach consensus

Systems Integration
Whole-house systems are made by there ability to allow the user to control the home in a single-system fashion. The system should complement the actions of the user. For example, if the family is leaving the house for several hours, a single-touch button should inact the necessary control logic to support this. During a dinner party, a "Dinner is Served" action should set the lights and music accordingly. Cool House programs are developed around family activities, not around controlling the various systems in the house with a touchscreen as opposed to a remote control. This makes the solution easier, and more enjoyable, to use. Systems integration is the key, however, as many protocols and dissimilar technologies are a part of the total system. A manufacturer of lighting controls has little interest in how to start a DVD, but to the homeowner, these are common parts of a home theater. Remember, effective systems integration focuses on lifestyle not on devices like remote controls and thermostats.

Project Management
While design and integration are important, coordinating the project is probably the biggest key to success. Cool House is a member of the Project Management Institute and brings industry experience in managing multi-million dollar commercial information technology projects to the table. We understand that budget, feature-set and delivery time are all important, and are all related. Understanding and communicating critical-path tasks, team responsibilities (including the owner), how to deal with design changes, etc. are all extremely important in the owner being satisfied with the final solution. The following represents 3 key parts of the Cool House process...

   - Scope Definition: Determine the high-level project definition
       including definition of roles, responsibilities and assumptions

   - The Submittal/Approval Process: A system of submitting drawings
        and material lists for approval prior to proceeding with the task

   - Substantial Completion: A point in time when the system is
       installed and working as defined in the design process. At this
       point a punch list of any outstanding discrepancies is made and
       agreed upon, with a resolution plan in place.