Smart Homes: Wiring for Technology That Lasts

Smart-home technology dates fast. The trick is building the right foundations now and adding gadgets later.

Wire for the future

Running quality cabling, conduit and power to the right places during the build costs little and saves a fortune later. Retrofitting is where technology gets expensive.

We plan for lighting, climate, security and media as a system, so your home is ready for whatever technology you choose — now or in ten years.

Wire for the future

Technology dates quickly, but good cabling does not. Running quality data, conduit and power to the right places during the build costs very little, while retrofitting the same later is expensive and messy.

Think of it as laying the roads before you decide which cars to drive. Get the infrastructure right, and you can upgrade the devices for decades without opening walls.

Plan systems, not gadgets

The homes that age best treat technology as a set of systems — lighting, climate, security, audio and networking — rather than a pile of disconnected gadgets. Planned together, they work seamlessly; bolted on piecemeal, they fight each other.

A robust wired network backbone, with wireless layered on top, remains the most reliable foundation for everything else.

Restraint is future-proofing

The smartest smart homes are often the most restrained. Spend on the infrastructure and the essentials you will use daily, and resist the urge to automate everything — simplicity ages far better than novelty.