Better Homes Through Better Coordination editorial series for architects, building designers, interior designers, and design-build firms.
Motorized shading systems and automated window treatments are building infrastructure systems that depend on architectural, interior, construction, and technology coordination to function properly. While they are sometimes treated as a detailing exercise at the end, their performance is determined by decisions made across all disciplines early in the project.
"Things like recessed shade pockets have to be absorbed into the home, into the cavities. So we need to make sure our cavities are big enough, whether that be the wall cavity, as in how thick the wall is to fit the shade pocket, in the ceiling cavity, or in the roof cavity," says David Lee, co-founder of FAME Architecture & Design, a Los Angeles-based architecture and interior design firm specializing in custom modern homes. "We can't show a client a thin floor slab if we're going to have shade pockets because that's unrealistic. You're not going to have a thin floor slab…you’re not going to have a thin wall.”
The question becomes when to include the technology integration firm responsible for sourcing and integrating the motorized shading systems. According to Lee, while each architect does things differently, technology consultants are often introduced during Design Development, when the architectural framework is already established.
"In Schematic Design, when we're doing 3D views of the house and 3D views of the interior, we're not doing technical stuff yet. We are still designing things with our clients,” he says. “We don't necessarily need to involve the technology consultant just yet because we know approximately how much space we need to have, but we do start thinking about shades early."
However, Lee notes that it’s important to involve technology integrators at the Schematic Design phase for other key reasons. For example, the onboarding process for the technology designers can begin then, so that when technical decisions are required, their proposals are already approved, they are completely up to speed with the plan, and there are no unnecessary delays. See our recent newsletter, “When Should a Technology Consultant Join a Project? An Architect's Perspective“ for more of David’s perspective on this.
“Shade pocket design is just a single aspect of early space planning coordination that your technology integrator can help with,” says Josh Christian, CEO of the Home Technology Association. “They can help with mechanical room dimensions, motorized video display concealment systems, supply home cinema dimensions, and hide other technologies, such as wireless access points, into the design for concealment and ease of access.”
See the HTA Project Technology Assessment form for more details on all the subsystems an integrator helps to plan for at the early stages.
HTA Certified integrators can help coordinate motorized shading systems alongside the home's broader technology infrastructure early in the process, while design decisions remain flexible. You can find a qualified HTA Certified integrator here.
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