ᐅ New semi-detached house construction – which systems to install?

Hello everyone,
we are finally building a house. Currently, we live in a rental apartment and I have the following components:

- Alexa Echo Plus in the living room
- Alexa Echo Dot in the bathroom
- Alexa Echo Dot in the children’s room (to be installed)
- Various Hue lamps, some with motion sensors

For our new house, of course, I want the latest technology. What am I looking for?

- Central control of roller shutters (possibly linked to daylight and summer temperature)
- Several controllable lights in the living areas
- Access to possible cameras / lights via smartphone
- Motion sensor lighting, for example in the basement hallway
- Remote control of heating for vacations etc. (air source heat pump)
- Possibly centrally controlled smoke detectors with notifications to the smartphone

Nothing else comes to mind at the moment...

In addition, I plan to install CAT 7 LAN cables in every room.
I keep reading that everything wired should be done with KNX. However, based on my requirements, I wonder if that might be a bit over the top.
I like voice control with Alexa / Siri and a nice touchpad for visualization very much. But does it still make sense to implement a full bus system with KNX?

I would be very grateful for a few tips.
Best regards

Christian

C.beckmann1986 schrieb:

Furthermore, I want to install CAT 7 LAN cabling in every room.

Regarding the home automation system, I can’t say much, but I have a few comments about the network.

It’s important to plan the entire network carefully. Having LAN ports in every room is a good start, but always install double outlets. In places like the TV area, consider installing two double outlets, since depending on the household, there might be several devices that need network connections. Don’t forget rooms like the hobby room. Also take the garage or attic into account, or at least prepare them with conduit pipes. Don’t forget LAN cables for cameras. Which type of video intercom system will be installed?

Now about Wi-Fi. Personally, I’m not a fan of using the router’s built-in Wi-Fi because it’s usually not placed optimally in the house and I find the devices unattractive. I would separate the two functions. Install a ceiling-mounted access point centrally on every floor, and make preparations for outdoor coverage as well. I’m personally using access points from Unifi.

A place should also be reserved for the network cabinet, so you don’t end up with no room for a 19" rack. The height depends on what equipment you want to install. Even if you don’t plan to add a NAS now, it’s a good idea to plan space for one. Back to the LAN cables: always ensure they are routed through conduit pipes.

How is the telephone system planned?

What type of internet connection will you have? Fiber optic, cable, DSL, or other?

Good morning.
I’ll quickly answer the questions.
Regarding the front door system, I haven’t looked into it in detail yet, but I definitely want something with video recording. I also have a Synology NAS (214play).
I think the idea of access points is very good. That way, all devices can really be installed in the basement.
Otherwise, we are supplied by Unitymedia, although I might consider switching to satellite at some point.
On one hand, I keep thinking to do it properly with KNX, but on the other hand, I believe a “good” system from Busch-Jaeger or something similar is probably sufficient for my needs, right?
Putting price aside, of course.

What about the electrical cables? Is there anything I should still consider? Not the cable routing, but the type of cable, etc.
I would be very grateful for any further advice.

Well, you have to decide this for yourself. With KNX, you can implement almost everything quite easily, and it will remain future-proof. This is not the case with manufacturer-specific systems. Support for those usually ends at some point, or the system is completely discontinued and replaced by another technology, etc.

Furthermore, with these proprietary solutions, you are often limited to certain devices and can only use those if you want to maintain full functionality. Take Philips Hue, for example. KNX is different in this regard. You can, for instance, connect and fully control virtually any RGB/RGBW strip.

With Alexa, you have probably already realized that you need an infrastructure that can be controlled and monitored. Without it, it is just a somewhat better speaker with voice recognition. KNX provides this infrastructure relatively easily and allows you to integrate everything from simple window contacts to electric vehicles.

Additional devices like Shellys behind light switches, etc., are great for retrofitting existing buildings. However, they are quite limited due to the lack of structured wiring and can often only replace the light switches or roller shutter switches and give them remote control functionality. But that has little to do with a truly smart home.

Mycraft schrieb:

...Additional devices like Shellys installed behind light switches, etc., are great for retrofitting existing buildings. However, they are quite limited due to the lack of structured wiring and can often only replace light switches or roller shutter switches, adding remote control functionality. But this has little to do with a truly smart home.

Aren’t Shellys actually suitable, for example, in combination with Alexa, a Raspberry Pi running IOBroker for IFTTT scenarios — so some kind of "intelligence" after all?
(Of course, only with additional sensors, actuators, and the right wiring)

At least that would be an open system that doesn’t become obsolete if a manufacturer discontinues support...

Keyword: Remote control capability. No intelligence.