York Penthouse Smart Lighting and Media Wall

A whole-home Lutron RadioRA 3 lighting system and discreet Dolby Atmos cinema installation within a landmark penthouse apartment overlooking York Minster.

The brief

Inspire Audio Visual was brought into the Biba House project alongside developer Pennygate Developments, interior designer Kudus Design and Californian lighting design practice Illum Lighting Design.

The brief was to translate Illum Lighting Design’s sophisticated, scene-based lighting scheme into a reliable whole-home control system, while introducing an immersive home cinema without compromising the apartment’s carefully considered interior.

With oak panelling, bespoke joinery and uninterrupted views towards York Minster defining the space, every keypad, speaker and item of equipment had to feel integrated rather than added afterwards.

The challenges

The interior demanded almost zero visible technology.

Speakers needed to complement the finishes rather than interrupt them, control points had to sit naturally within the architecture, and the equipment rack needed to be concealed while remaining accessible and properly ventilated.

The lighting scheme had been created by Illum Lighting Design in California, with lighting drawings developed alongside Pennygate Developments. Our responsibility was to interpret that design and turn it into a fully programmed Lutron system on site.

This required close coordination between the lighting designer, developer, interior designer, electrician and our own engineering team.

The combination of DALI lighting, mains dimming, non-dimmable loads, motion sensors and wireless lighting control also meant the system needed to bring several different control methods together within one consistent interface.

What we designed and installed

Smart lighting

A whole-home Lutron RadioRA 3 lighting control system was installed throughout the apartment.

The system uses 14 custom-engraved Lutron keypads to provide intuitive control without covering the walls in conventional switches. Each keypad was programmed around the lighting scenes created by Illum Lighting Design, allowing the atmosphere of each room to be changed with a single press.

The system combines DALI lighting modules, mains dimming, relay control and RadioRA 3 in-line controllers within a dedicated Lutron enclosure.

Five discreet Faradite motion sensors provide automatic lighting control in selected areas, improving convenience while maintaining the clean visual finish of the apartment.

Final programming and scene adjustment were completed on site so that every lighting level worked with the furniture, artwork, materials and natural light within the finished rooms.

Cinema and television

The main living area includes a discreet Dolby Atmos surround-sound system built around a 75-inch LG OLED television.

Gallo Acoustics speakers were selected because their compact spherical design delivers high-quality sound without introducing large conventional loudspeakers into the room.

The speakers were finished in a custom RAL colour selected to complement the surrounding interior. Pendant speakers provide the overhead Atmos channels, while the subwoofer and supporting equipment are concealed from view.

A Marantz Cinema 70S AV receiver manages the television, speaker system, Sky and Apple TV sources, with automated switching simplifying everyday use.

Equipment and infrastructure

A ventilated 12U in-wall equipment rack houses the central AV equipment while remaining hidden within the interior.

The installation includes 8K-rated HDMI infrastructure, fibre HDMI cabling, dedicated speaker cabling and network connectivity for the television, streaming devices and control equipment.

The result is an immersive entertainment system that remains visually quiet when it is not being used.

Technology summary

System	Specification
Lighting control	Lutron RadioRA 3
Lighting keypads	14 custom-engraved Lutron keypads
Lighting interfaces	DALI modules, mains dimming modules, relays and in-line controllers
Sensors	5 Faradite PIR motion sensors
Lighting enclosure	10-way Lutron system enclosure
Display	75-inch LG OLED
Surround sound	Gallo Acoustics Dolby Atmos system
AV receiver	Marantz Cinema 70S
Sources	Sky and Apple TV
Equipment rack	Ventilated 12U in-wall rack
Cabling	CLEARLINE 8K fibre HDMI and CYP HDMI 2.1
Network	UniFi network switch
Control	Automated television and AV source switching

Design and development team

This project was delivered through close collaboration between four specialist teams.

AV and lighting control: Inspire Audio Visual

We designed, supplied, installed and programmed the Lutron lighting control and home cinema systems, coordinating the technology with the lighting scheme and finished interior.

Development: Pennygate Developments

Pennygate Developments managed the construction and delivery of the penthouse, while also coordinating the lighting drawings and wider project requirements.

Interior design: Kudus Design

Kudus Design created the refined oak-clad interior that shaped every technology and installation decision. The finished system had to complement the architecture without competing with it.

Lighting design: Illum Lighting Design

California-based Illum Lighting Design created the original lighting scheme and scene specification that informed the programming of the Lutron system.

We worked alongside the project team to turn that design intent into a completed, commissioned and intuitive lighting system.

Lutron global award submission

Biba House is being submitted for consideration within Lutron’s global residential excellence programme.

The project demonstrates how intelligent lighting control can be integrated into a highly detailed interior without disrupting the architecture or material palette.

For us, the project represents the value of bringing the technology integrator, developer, interior designer and lighting designer together early enough to protect the original design vision.

“Beyond proud of this project. The finish is incredible, the design is timeless, and being part of something this unique has been very special. We are looking forward to putting the project forward for a global Lutron award.”

Ben Davies, Director, Inspire Audio Visual

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