Entrainment Consulting is a full-service independent technology design consulting firm serving the premium residential industry.  We partner with architects, builders, interior designers, AC contractors, and individuals.  Below is a breakdown of our services, which we offer separately or as part of a larger package.  If you have a need beyond the services listed below, do not hesitate to ask, we love solving new problems.  This list parallels the design and construction phases for most projects.  Pricing is provided based on the scope for each project.

Start here!

We conduct detailed interviews with the client, the architect, and the other members of the design team in order to define functionality and specify the infrastructure and systems.  We carefully collect information on desires, lifestyles, anticipated usage, lifespan of the property, and investment goals.  We suggest various ideas based on what is possible, our experience, and what may be on the horizon.  The result is a specification that becomes the clear, guiding document for the system.  Our full-service technology designs typically address the following systems.

• Audio reproduction
• Climate control
• Communications
• Energy management
• Fireplaces and fire features
• Information technology
• Lighting control
• Managed Services
• Master control system
• Motorized shading
• Motorized doors and gates
• Physical access contol
• Pool, spa, fountains, and water features
• Racks and cabinet equipment
• Remote devices and sensors
• Security system
• Structured cabling
• Technical furniture
• Technical power
• Video reproduction
• Video surveillance
• Warranty and maintenance

This service builds upon the results of the needs analysis to determine feasibility and develop the technology budget for the project.  The primary goal is to verify functionality per the schematic and construction drawings.  The importance of this phase is to anticipate construction-related issues and address them during the design phase of the project, preventing costly change orders or mistakes later in the project timeline.  This is where our coordinated design effort really begins.  We specify the technology system infrastructure, cabling, space requirements, device placements, electrical provisions, mechanical provisions, and structural requirements.  We also provide budget ranges for the desired solutions.

Our deliverables for this phase of work typically include:

• A detailed technology device location floor plan
• Electrical requirements
• Thermal and HVAC requirements
• Structural requirements
• Other issues that will impact construction. 
• Budget range

This service delivers detailed construction and engineering documentation to the architect, interior designer, general contractor, and low-voltage contractor.  Every project will need this documentation to insure a great result.  Our deliverables will overlay the electronic system's requirements with the design and construction details.  Depending on the scope and scale of the project, some of this documentation may be done by the low-voltage contractor with our review and oversight.

We typically provide:

• Electrical requirements and locations.
• Structural details as needed for larger products
• Cabinet detailing for equipment located in furniture
• Thermal management for electronic equipment
• Sight-lines and speaker placement for the desired experiences
• Product placement on floor plans with dimensional information for clash detection and conflict resolution
• Equipment rack elevations
• Wiring infrastructure details
• Conduit layout and schedules
• Schematics and point-to-point diagrams for low-voltage.
• Controls and interfacing with pool, fountain, and  irrigation designers and contractors
• Security and surveillance interface designs for the security contractor

The user experience is how the people living in the home will experience and use the technology.  This is more than a pretty user interface, this is the backbone to how the system will perform.  We rely heavily on the Needs Analysis and Architectural Programming phase to understand needs and then define the correct experience.

In some instances, the client may not even touch the system for the right experience.  For example, we can leverage geofencing to know when someone is coming home.  A great experience is to turn on relevant lights coming into the home without ever touching a button.  The system will know if it is after dark and only turn on lights that are needed.  Small touches like this add up to effortless enjoyment of the technology.

We provide requirements for the central control system software programming regarding how the control system shall operate and direction for the user experience.  We do not program the control system or create the graphical user interface (GUI).

Entrainment Consulting can provide:

• Functional requirements at the room level.
• Facility management requirements for the property.
• GUI guidelines.
• User interface equipment selection - keypads, remote controls, touchscreens, tablets, biometrics, Near-Field Communications (NFC) and voice interfaces that would be appropriate for each space.
• Lighting control systems design.

We inspect what we expect.

Entrainment Consulting will verify many aspects of the system during construction and commissioning.  A technology system for a high-end home requires that all trades do their part and fulfill the design intent that is captured in our documentation and specifications.  The biggest challenge we have seen over the years is that a trade may side-step a detail, which then creates failures for the system.  Therefore, we must do spot inspections and hold meetings to confirm everyone understands what they are building.

Our inspection process includes:

• Structural verification for issues related to the system
• HVAC and thermal construction to insure the proper equipment performance
• Electrical for compliance with power capacity, proper grounding, and locations
• Lighting fixtures and zones related to lighting control
• Device placement coordination