During the renovation of Tura Castle, we developed a KNX building automation system that is unique in Hungary and one of the most modern in Europe.
The International KNX Association nominated the project as the best European project 2022 in the Smart Building category.
Patinated castle, state-of-the-art building automation
During the renovation of the Botaniq Turai Castle, our company Elektro-Kamleithner Ltd. delivered the designed KNX building automation system, programmed the system and manufactured the customized bronze controllers. Based on the international standard KNX system (MSZ EN 500090), the flexibility of the system makes it an excellent solution for the intelligent control of hotels and hotels. It is suitable for all types of buildings, from detached houses to complex buildings of several tens of thousands of square metres (apartment buildings, residential complexes, office buildings, educational and public institutions, industrial halls, shopping centres, airports, etc.).
Our task was to design the complete lighting and heating control system for the Botaniq Turai Castle. After the renovation, a building electrical and mechanical system was developed that is unique in Hungary and one of the most modern in Central Europe, with state-of-the-art solutions. An important aspect was to combine efficient energy management with a superior guest experience. To achieve this, room occupancy detection, PMS hotel software integration and cooling/heating control were also developed. The special feature of the KNX system is that these functions can be managed in a complex, standard building management system in a simpler, more energy-efficient way.
Effective energy management and maximum guest experience do not always go hand in hand, but we have found solutions to combine these two important areas.
Occupancy detection
Occupancy detection is in the interest of hotel operations, saving energy that supports operations. A major problem for hotels is that room cards left in the entrance potholes make it impossible to determine exactly whether someone is in the room. The solution to this is intelligent occupancy sensors, which use signage sensors in combination with opening sensors and other parameters to determine whether a room is empty or occupied based on a special algorithm and adjust the lighting and temperature accordingly.
Intelligent cooling and heating control
Intelligent cooling and heating control in guest rooms and suites is designed to address the issue of energy efficiency. Among others, a window-opening monitoring system, which puts the system into stand-by, i.e. reduced operation, when the guest has opened the window, thus preventing waste. When no one is in the room or suite, the reduced mode is also activated.
Automatic control settings can be made according to the season, the weather or the number of guests, but of course there is always the possibility of intervention and recalibration. For example, it is possible to generate the required amount of hot water calculated on the basis of the number of guests.
Mechanical controls in common areas and rooms are automatically detected by the system and any faults are eliminated. This is helped by the use of twin pumps on all circuits, so that guests are never left without heating or hot water for even a moment. The system can also be accessed remotely, so that immediate intervention is possible in the event of a fault.
Lighting images
We have created different lighting images and scenarios to enhance the guest experience, combining 3 different dimming methods.
Thanks to the lighting control, a switch is placed next to each bedpost to turn off all the lights in the room. So if a light is left on after bedtime, you don't need to wake up to get it. This is not possible without an automatic system, using traditional electrical installation techniques.
Custom Berker interfaces
The special interior design of the building required that the control surfaces in the rooms should be in keeping with the style of the castle, but at the same time be capable of intelligent control. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that the built-in devices matched the interior in both appearance and materials, providing a quality experience.
The choice was our Berker branded interface, which provided both a patina look and 21st century technology. The handles were manufactured exclusively for the castle in bronze to harmonise with the bronze accessories and decorative elements in the rooms. The switches and sensors made in the Berker manufactory are perfectly suited to individual requirements. To the delight of interior designers working on a quality look, there are almost no limits to the use of individual materials: individual looks, individual materials, individual logos. Textiles, stone, wood, leather or even Swarovski crystal light switch frames are all possible. It is also possible to use gold, nickel, brass, copper or palladium alloys.
What made the project so special was the need to seamlessly integrate many functions into a single system, which resulted in a truly modern and state-of-the-art building automation solution.
