Going For Gold At The Old Manse

It takes great skill and vision to perfectly combine the beauty of a historic building with the convenience of modern technology. Edinburgh based integrator IDES have achieved this at The Old Manse, a superb example of blending the old with the new. This fantastic project was awarded Gold for Best International Installation in the URC Unsurpassed Awards 2024 – read on to find out why…

Built in the 1800’s, The Old Manse is a large family residence located in Leith, Edinburgh. Manse is the Scottish name for accommodation provided to a minister, and this wonderful example would have been built alongside a church long since demolished. The property includes original stone walls, high ceilings and period features – providing a beautiful, yet challenging installation canvas for the team.

The Challenge

Stephen Kerr of IDES explains, “Initially Jo Ainsley from Jeffrey’s Interiors contacted me to see if we could help a potential client with some Wi-Fi problems. It transpired that they wanted to carry out a full renovation and were looking for ideas on which technologies to consider. After a visit to their URC certified showroom, this turned into a large project for IDES…one that went onto win Gold in the URC Unsurpassed Awards.”

The owners were looking to completely renovate the Old Manse, adding an extension and modernising the interior while still retaining the historic character of the building. Now part of the renovation team, IDES were commissioned to integrate the lighting, heating and AV systems into an easy-to-use home automation solution.

Due to inflation, the wider building costs increased more than anticipated so IDES had to rethink its installation design to work within a much tighter budget. This meant that each stage of the project had to be incredibly precise to stay within the parameters, whilst still maintaining a high level of performance. Therefore, it was important that IDES worked closely with the builders and interior designers, Jeffrey’s Interiors, to manage costs and modify as required.

The Control Solution

A URC Total Control system, sourced from UK distributor AWE, was selected to provide a user-friendly home automation solution throughout the property. URC integrates with a vast range of technologies and devices, giving the family scope to scale up the system in the future. It’s also easy to use and relatively affordable for a professional solution, yet fully scalable. The system brings together multiple technologies throughout the home into one user-friendly interface – streamlining the control of lighting, window treatments, HVAC, audio, audio streaming, door entry and CCTV.

At the heart of the URC solution is an MRX-15 processor, providing two-way communication with the URC controllers and connected third-party devices, which includes 60 KNX lighting circuits and 16 KNX heating zones. A HDA-4100 multi-zone amplifier by URC provides high-definition audio to several zones throughout the home.

To operate, as well as using their own hand-held devices, the homeowner can use a series of URC control interfaces positioned throughout the home, including two TKP 9600 10” In-Wall Touch Screens, two TKP-7600 In-Wall Touch Screens, and four TRC-820 single room remote controls. For example, there’s an In-Wall Touch Screen by the kitchen door to easily select scenes and control audio as you enter.

The AV Solution

To maximise budget, IDES fitted in-room KNX valve head actuators to local radiators, rather than a centralised manifold. This meant the homeowner could allocate more budget to the AV equipment. With guidance from IDES, the homeowner opted for Bowers & Wilkins speakers – with CCM362 two-way ceiling speakers delivering high quality multi-room audio in specified zones throughout the home.

In the media room, three Bowers & Wilkins 600 series speakers are placed within a purpose built media cabinet that discreetly hides wiring. The central speaker is a Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition Centre Speaker in black, with two Bowers & Wilkins 607 compact bookshelf speakers positioned either side.

A Sony OLED XR65A75KU 65” TV is the centrepiece of the media room. This premium Sony OLED TV includes the XR Processor for an incredible, enhanced picture quality. The addition of an automated curtain by Silent Gliss offers a practical solution when closing the curtains for movie watching, despite the very high ceilings.

For the ultimate in convenience, the URC system enables the homeowner and his family to select from a series of tailored pre-set scenes, depending on how the room is being used. For example, for movie night they can press a single button to close the curtains, dim the lights and set the TV & audio to the desired inputs.

It’s a great space, full of original character, for enjoying TV, movies and gaming experiences together with fantastic high-definition audio.

Stephen Kerr of IDES said, “Like every project, this one had technical hurdles that we needed to deal with, and as always, the tech support team at AWE were on hand whenever we needed them. We like to work with new products and I’m happy to report that we would use all of the products from this one again!”

The Result

With careful planning and consideration, even an old stone-built Manse can be given a modern new lease of life. This project is a great showcase of how professionally installed technology can blend seamlessly within a period home, enhancing the lifestyle of its occupants while providing practical advantages too.

The client is delighted with the result, commenting, “From the outset we have really enjoyed and valued working with IDES. The design showed us functions and capabilities we would never have thought of but have now become ‘must haves’ for the family. We loved how the latest technology has been integrated so sensitively into a 19th century house – I know this has not been a simple task!”

It’s no surprise that this superb installation by IDES was a gold winner at the URC Unsurpassed Awards 2024. To find out more about URC, Silent Gliss, Sony or Bowers & Wilkins, get in touch or book a visit to the AWE Show Apartment.

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