projects | Consultancy

Our client Northacre is one of London's leading developers of very high-end residences, with a particular focus and expertise on the refurbishment of listed buildings. The team have worked with this client since 1987.

The Lancasters was originally an elegant parade of 15 magnificent stucco-fronted Grade II listed houses dating from the mid nineteenth century. In recent years this had been converted into a rambling hotel and other accommodation, and become dilapidated. Restoration by London's leading team of developers, architects and interior designers has created a unique fusion of traditional architecture with brand new design and construction, incorporating the very latest in 21st Century digital technology. The architects wanted to ensure that they left the building in good shape for the next 150 years.

The majority of the 77 homes face south with views across Hyde Park, boast main reception rooms with imposing architectural detailing. Each home has been designed around the grandeur of these original interior features, such as high ceilings, ornate cornicing and fireplaces. The apartments range from 1,100ft² to a majestic 5,400ft². There are also two wonderful houses of more than 10,000ft² each.

The design emphasis was very much on ensuring that the requirements of modern living were provided without diminishing the architectural splendour of the original features. All apartments were to be wired for sound throughout, ready to install preferred audiovisual equipment. Each room was to be provided with an audio keypad to control volume and source switching. Principal reception rooms were required to be wired for surround-sound, enabling the installation of a home cinema. The architect and the developer required that there was as little "real estate" on the walls of apartments as possible and we were limited to one double gang back box per keypad location.

Each apartment has a unique lighting scheme, designed to offer solutions for everything from reading in comfort to enhancing artwork. All apartments benefit from a whole-home lighting control system to allow scene setting. All South-facing apartments were to be wired to allow for future installation of a full-range of shading options

Touch-screen control was specified in every apartment. It was a requirement of the developer's brief that HVAC controls were to be integrated with this and the lighting systems and that door video entry communications and control and concierge communications and be integrated with the integration system. We have worked with this developer for many years to provide integrated single keypads that control lighting, audio and temperature, and their priority is to provide their purchasers with clear, elegant, intuitive and consistent controls. We all agreed it was critical to enable homeowners to proactively manage their energy use using this keypad.

All apartments were to have best-practice intruder alarm protection installed, with an option of connecting directly to a central monitoring centre to alert key-holders and police services if required.

Communal systems had to include a three-satellite dish SMATV system to provide for Sky and two foreign satellite dishes, utilising a single dish location at one end of the terrace. A development-wide internal and external CCTV system with day/night capability and 28-day recording was to be fully integrated with the access control system. Vehicular and pedestrian access control and video entry was to be provided and all these systems were to be centrally controlled and monitored from two locations at the concierge desk and in the manager's office.

The home of Alfred Dunhill. This eminent British brand wished to create the true spiritual home of Alfred Dunhill whose incredible attention to detail embraced the ultimate in masculine luxury and retail lifestyle. Formerly the home of the Duke of Westminster, this magnificent Grade II building has been fully restored to its former grandeur and distinction.

Alfred Dunhill has always represented the discerning and modern gentleman, so it was only fitting that their new home should represent the latest in modern and extremely discreet technology. The building exists for two purposes; a private gentleman's club as a London home for guest members and a retail space to exhibit past and current Dunhill products. Working within the confines of a Grade 11 listed building SMC fulfilled the client brief to install the very latest audio visual products throughout the entire building and create a stunning private screening room within the basement.

Best Buy launched in the UK in 2010. They approached SMC to help design the AV demonstration areas in each of their flagship stores. In addition SMC created a sales and installation process for their larger systems, produced system packages, trained staff in the home cinema departments, and mentored their installation team.

SMC designed communication, AV, security, access, lighting and environmental control systems for this exclusive beachside development of around 100 homes.

Our work included advising on management systems, cost plan and full specification for in-apartment and leisure club installations.

SMC have been involved in the design and specification of integrated systems for a number of private homes in the Moscow area, in some cases continuing with the contract through to commissioning.

SMC specicialists have designed and specificied sophisticated security, communication, TV reception, media distribution, entertainment, lighting and environmental control systems. All documentation is issued in English and Russian. SMC have native Russian speaking staff who will be happy to help on such projects.

Our designers worked as part a multinational consultant team (UK, US, German, Russian) to develop a comprehensive security, communications, media, lighting and control scheme for this ambitious development.

This large, enclosed, mixed-use project includes a variety of private dwelling types, school, leisure, hotel, retail, restaurant and other commercial premises in a riverside/parkland setting. We produced exemplar designs, infrastructure layouts, security strategy and other information in conjunction with the other designers, working closely with the client representatives.