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It's a 21st Century Dream Come True for Allentown Man |
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by BETH W. ORENSTEIN, (A free-lance story for The Morning Call) |
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On the back of Glen Hill's Jeep is a bumper sticker: "My house is smarter than your house." He's not kidding. The 4,200-square-foot contemporary home he's building for himself and his wife, Karen, in Upper Saucon Township has the latest in home automation technology and then some. The smart home, which will be a showcase for Hill's home automation business, Current Concepts-Home Automation Specialists in Allentown, should be complete by November. Included in the home will be an interactive lighting control system by Lutron Electronics of Coopersburg. Among the system's capabilities: when he arrives home, it will automatically light the way from the garage to the kitchen so he doesn't have to fumble for switches, and when he's away, it will replay his everyday lighting patterns so that the home looks lived in. The home will have a PHAST Home Automation System that will allow him to pick up a phone and talk to any room in the house to control lights or temperature, lock doors, or change channels or movies on the TV. Every room in the house is wired for four phone lines. Every window in the house will have motorized coverings so that Hill can -- with the touch of a keypad -- close them for privacy or open them to let in more natural light. He also can program the system to shut off the air conditioner and open windows if it's 72 degrees outside and the sun is shining. The home's steeply sloped driveway will have sensors so he'll be alerted when anyone -- even on a bicycle -- drives on it. Because Hill believes voice-activated computers are not that far off, he's even installed microphones in every room. "When it becomes feasible, you'll be able to talk to your house," he says, and give it instructions such as to turn on the oven or lock or unlock the front door. The home also will have four home theaters with state-of-the-art projection equipment. One will be a small movie-style theater with six to eight seats and full Dolby Digital surround sound. It will have a front-projection TV. The family/media room will have high-definition TV. Because Karen Hill has a bad back, the two-story home will have an elevator. The first floor will include a tiled entryway, great room, home theater, kitchen, bath and a screened porch. The wraparound deck will have sensors so lights will come on automatically if it's dark and someone walks on it. The second floor will be an exercise room with a wall-mounted television and skylight and the master bedroom suite, which will include a separate makeup area. The bedroom will have a 48-inch TV and a dual-sided fireplace. The master bath will have a walk-in six-headed shower and a whirlpool tub. The toilet area will have a water-saving urinal plus a phone, computer, TV, fax machine and magazine rack. The basement will be home to Hill's business, with a conference room, office and workshop area. The contemporary house, which sits on 6 wooded acres, also will have radiant floor heat and a three-car garage. If Hill's expecting a delivery, he will be able to program his access-control system to allow the delivery person to punch in a special code to open the door and leave packages. Hill's smart home will be featured in future issues of several builder and industry magazines, including Archi-Tech Magazine, Electronic House, and Consumer Pro Magazine. Hill would not say how much the home is costing to build. He's been planning the home for five years and went through three designs before settling on the one he is having built. Construction started about a year ago. Hill has lived in a row home on 14th Street in Allentown for 22 years. "I always wanted a house of my own," he says. "This is truly a dream come true." |
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Current Concepts - Home Automation Specialists |
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