Luxury living in Chelsea with Gira smart home solutions
Gira, one of the world’s leading full-range suppliers of intelligent system solutions for commercial and residential property, bring the latest technology to a truly iconic new build property in London, designed by Nick Shipp Architects and located on the iconic Kings Road in Chelsea.
Setting a landmark design standard, Essoldo House is a corner building on Chelsea’s cosmopolitan high street, which boasts eleven extraordinary homes, in addition to a remarkable roof terrace, cinema and three retail units on the ground floor. This luxurious high-rise building is situated on the south side of Kings Road, no. 279, which sits right between Old Church Street and Paultons Square and close to the world-famous Bluebird restaurant and café.
Vibrant, contemporary and highly sophisticated, Chelsea is one of London’s hot-spots with Kings Road being regarded as the suburbs beating heart brimming with restaurants, bars, designer shops and art galleries. On the corner of Old Church Street, a former vintage cinema has been transformed into a four-storey property called Essoldo House. Designed by Nick Shipp Architects, this property defines the overall streetscape with its striking contemporary design and distinct tower-like bay window.
The eleven residential units comprise of three maisonettes and eight apartments, ranging from around 70-145 square metres in size. They all combine 21st century design and comfort with the character of traditional Chelsea, offering at least one balcony or roof terrace with views over the Borough. The building has underground parking and, of course, offers a concierge service for residents.
The absolute commitment to luxury in Essoldo House is visible in every detail with solid, high-quality oak floors, Carrara marble in all the bathrooms, and Porcelanosa kitchens, fitted exclusively with the latest generation of Miele appliances, including wine fridges and boiling water taps. The building services are also state-of-the-art: all functions, from the air conditioning and lighting to the Sonos wireless sound system installed throughout and the security system, are interconnected and can be controlled using an iPad, ensuring a smart home in its purest form.
Behind the scenes, a user-friendly Gira KNX system works in tandem with the Gira X1 mini server and the Gira S1, remote access module to ensure equally smooth and secure networking and control wherever the homeowner is. The switches and socket outlets of the Gira E2 design line in stainless steel also match the high-quality elegance of the interior in a special building – truly London’s finest – and all Gira products were installed by specialist system integrator Marquee Home Limited, part of the Gira System Integrator Partner Program.
Jacob Muijnck, Managing Director at Gira UKsays, “We are absolutely delighted to offer practical and intuitive solutions for today’s luxurious city living from sockets and switches to the latest smart home servers which will take care of everything from lighting and heating to security. Our award-winning Design Lines are specially designed to give interior designers and architects the ultimate in flexibility and functionality when it comes to providing the essentials in terms of controls and power points.”
The minimalist Gira E2 range is made of ultra-durable shatter-proof UV-resistant plastic in a variety of finishes including pure white glossy, grey matt, and black matt, alongside aluminium, anthracite and stainless steel colours, which bring an on-trend industrial feel to Essoldo House.
Homeowners can easily access and control the functions of their KNX installation remotely by using the Gira X1 app, so they can dim and switch lights, and adjust shutters and blinds, heating control, value transmitter, scenes, timer and much more. Camera images can also be accessed ‘live’, plus there are customisation options that include home screen personalisation so it’s even easier to keep an eye on the home, safe in the knowledge that all data is protected and encrypted by our Gira S1.
It is essential that this fashionable address enjoys the most innovative and accessible technology, so Gira has included the following intelligent solutions:
· Gira E2 Design Line – this streamlined socket and switch series works in tandem with the Gira System 55, which offers up to 500 different functions, so that can be easily managed with easy-clean controls that complement a restrained pale interior palette, which highlights luxurious finishes and sumptuous comfort.
· Gira X1 – a compact smart home server which makes automating a single-family home with a KNX system convenient, easier and economical with remote access, control and monitoring for the height of security. Quick to install, the Gira X1 provides a stress-free start-up and configuration for straightforward, undemanding intelligent build technology and is compatible with Amazon Alexa for voice control and Sonos wireless speakers for excellent sound quality. Gira X1 can be operated on any smart device, tablet or phone via the Gira X1 App for remote access with the ability to handle up to 250 functions as standard, with the option to encompass 125 or 250 with paid-for updates to optimize modern living.
· Gira S1 – aremote access module which ensures complete data encryption when accessing the smart home. Simply start the Gira X1 App and Gira S1 will take care of the rest in cooperation with the Gira device portal. The server for the Gira device portal is located in Germany and is subject to German data protection laws. This ensures that stringent German data protection standards are applied so all Gira customers are fully protected with safe and secure technology.
· Gira KNX Pushbutton Sensor 3 – the latest sensor technology controls lighting and blinds and ensures room temperature can always be comfortable. Residents in Essoldo House can easily create the perfect backdrop for entertaining friends or a romantic dinner with mood scenes consisting of light, blinds and music.
Architecture: Nick Shipp Architects | 40 Belvedere, Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 | +44 (0)1225 312 655 | email design@nickshipp.com | nickshipp.com
Photos: Alexander James | alexjamesphotography.com
System Integrator: Marquee Home Limited | Unit 5 Shepperton Business Park, Govett Avenue, Shepperton, Middlesex TW17 8BA | +44 (0)1784 430404 | email sales@marqueehome.co.uk | www.marqueehome.co.uk
