The key document to look through… http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/isecourse/EnergyStarContractGuide.pdf - sensibly sets out what is required from a contract (in more detail than we had time for during the course).

Totally unrelated to our industry, but a good generic document to read through, as food for thought. Takes a little while to load, so be patient.

Below are just a few, non-industry specific examples of the maintenance contracts which can help to develop your own company documents.

http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/isecourse/draftcomputercontract.pdf

http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/isecourse/innovaphone.pdf

http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/isecourse/carpet.pdf

http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/isecourse/rollsroyce.pdf

http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/isecourse/vx4000.pdf

Read between the lines and look at how relevant the sections are and what you need to substitute into the document for your needs.

As many are in PDF format, if you see something you like, then….plagarise!

All the best, Ian

A brand new revision of the thinkingbricks website (www.thinkingbricks.co.uk) is reaching out to professionals and homeowners alike, who are thinking about how they can include future connectivity, integrated entertainment, security and control into their client’s, or their own, building project. Be it multi-room audio, video distribution, home cinema, lighting control, home broadband and telephone networks or home automation, thinkingbricks have plain English advice and support documents to help.

A new focussed client’s zone for professionals such as architects, property developers and building services (Mechanical & Electrical) consultants, thinkingbricks are providing useful “smart home” know-how and information, to help them develop relationships with future colleagues and clients alike.

Home technology can offer a huge scope of choices – from single room installations such as a home cinema, media room or games room to whole house networking for satellite TV, video and music. It can also integrate a number of systems, linking standard everyday use systems such as TV/satellite, broadband and telephone into automated lighting controls and security through to heating and ventilation.

And the pace of change and the levels of new technology being introduced is incredible. It is fair to say that systems that we all use everyday, such as broadband and TV represent a “standard fit” expectation for many homeowners, or potential home buyers. A new home, or renovated property, without some thought paid to an integrated system to send TV (satellite or digital freeview), internet and telephone connectivity to the main habitable rooms doesn’t really promise comfortable access to basic technology in future.

Project Director at thinkingbricks, Ian Trudgeon said “ We find that our clients and a lot of the professionals we work with see what we do as the way forward in building or renovating a modern home. But many professionals such as architects, M&E consultants and interior designers don’t have time to research all the options, provide answers to client’s technology questions, or keep themselves up to date on the developments that are constantly happening in this field. When they are asked by their clients to give ideas, it often results in them giving “old fashioned” information, which they tell us can generate disappointed or disillusioned clients as end users. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing in our industry.”

He continues “..we have been delivering a number of professional education meetings across London, the Home Counties and East Anglia. We have had a number of questions raised by the audience, so we decided to put in place a regular newsletter answering those questions. We plan to update every two months with fresh Technology Bulletins for our fellow professionals. We hope that by answering the real life questions raised by the audience at the seminars, that we will give relevant information and ensure that it up to date.”

As well as the professional focus of the new website, there are useful documents such as the thinkingbricks top ten tips (a useful series of steps to working out which technology are required and where and how it will ultimately be integrated and installed in to a project) , a series of example quotes for the types of systems available and the company portfolio of projects.

The first edition of the technology bulletin also has a simple competition and chance to win a “very familiar piece of entertainment technology”.

So for architects, interior designers and mechanical & electrical consultants, as well as anyone keen to know more about what types of technology are genuinely smart to consider for an ongoing project, the technology bulletin page is the place to visit, at least every two months!

About thinkingbricks Limited:
A CEDIA Electronic Systems Professional Member company since 2005, thinkingbricks Limited provide professional advise, system design and all aspects of installation and support for a number of home technology systems. These include home networking (TV, satellite, telephone), multi room audio and audio visual, home cinema, lighting control, heating and ventilation, access control and entry systems, as well as integrated system control. Alongside the systems, they provide initial consultancy, design and quotation services, first and second fix cable installation, systems training and maintenance support.

Contact:
Ian Trudgeon, Project Director
thinkingbricks Limited – 0845 300 7796

One key way to get straight to thinkingbricks and a plain english explanation is to use the new Web Definitions part of Google.

Type in “define smart home” and a thinkingbricks definition will arrive at the top of your page (or it does in  October 2008, anyway!). We have put together a glossary of terms for a variety of phrases in the field of home automation and smart home technology and we hope it helps!

Enjoy clicking and if you reach our website, take a good look around – we have designed the website as a one stop shop for anyone looking for initial and more in-depth information on how to achieve a smart home.

See you soon….

the bricks (Ian and Matt)

The builder isn’t just trusting that the walls will stay up, and the architect isn’t hoping that the size of the rooms just works out OK in the end. They have a set of drawings and specifications to work to, or their plans drawn out and documented.

The same should be true of the elements in a smart home system design. You shouldn’t just trust that you will be able to watch TV, or be able to access all your digital music easily, or get reliable wireless broadband. You should be shown how the system will go together, and be able to discuss how to control the home cinema, or the scenes set using the lighting controls. This all part of the design service and design process at thinkingbricks.

Half the battle in getting to a robust and well thought out system design is defining the brief of the project. You may be thinking that if only you knew what to discuss with the client, that would be a start!

No problem – over the years we have built up a simple breifing document which we use to help uncover your technology needs, from what they want to see on TV, through how they like music to be delivered around the house to how they want the systems to interact (for example, lights in the home cinema room, or an audio system that will trigger a favourite radio station as a wake up alarm).

Once we can understand the client’s needs, we can provide you with ballpark specifications and quote work to discuss with the client and background support for you in dealing with the client, in refining the eventual brief.

Once the ballpark quote work is agreed, we move onto the design phase. And you don’t just get a design sent through, with no explanation. We pride ourselves on making our systems fit the brief exactly. We make sure that you can see what the systems will do on paper, and understand the role of the different cables and why they are being run.

Over a short series of telephone calls and a site visit, we will go through the process of generating the Version 1 design, which becomes the template for any further amends and will ultimately be used to run the first fix (initial) cabling, and then put the smart home system together, even down to the systems in place to control everything.

We come across many M&E customers who have been “blinded with science” when it comes to smart home technology. Over a cup of tea, or a telephone call – we can very quickly work out what you and your client will need.

 To see what that meant for one our our customers referred by an M&E consultant – go to the portfolio pages and read more: http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/projects/ProjectC&H-BarnStorming!.pdf

In a job like ours, we frequently can get rather glazed expressions on the faces of friends and family, as we explain the latest advance in high definition this, and super fast that. A side effect of being passionate about what we do, and loving the sounds of our own voices!

But it is something we make every effort to avoid when talking about systems with our clients.

One key aspect of what thinkingbricks offers customers is “techno-translation” of the key elements of modern home technology.

With all the different approaches and options available, it can be a real minefield especially when specifying / quoting a new system for a customer. This is equally applicable to our private residential customers with a single “dream home project” as it is to our property developer clients, where they need to understand a standard fit technology specification and how that appeals and caters to their potential buyers.

It is really important for us to be clear about what can, and what cannot, be done with technology. It is so easy to say yes to everything. The key is to make informed choices about the various systems involved in smart homes, but from the point of view of what is most important for the client.

 That is why we developed the thinkingbricks Top Ten Tips document. Our clients find it really helps to go through a series of logical steps, and generate a brief to us from their decisions. Working with their plans, they can highlight what they want to achieve across their project and then send it through to us for an initial discussion, and ballpark quote work.

It is available for download from the site on http://www.thinkingbricks.co.uk/toptentips.htm

We hope it helps, and gives you an idea of how we approach our clients, from day one.

 Ian & Matt