#DesignWeek Ja 2017 gave a new twist to an open house yesterday with decorators, interior designers, architects, et al invited to a walk-through of Martina Christian’s design concept in the Millsborough foothills of St Andrew.

Christian, a senior architectural designer at Rivi Gardner and Associates, and her team conceptualised and built a “smart home” to her clent’s requirements and hectic lifestyle.

“I was responsible for all design decisions, both architectural and interior design, working closely with the client and subcontractors,” Christian told the Jamaica Observer .

Tossing aside the old idea of an open house being only for prospective purchasers, Christian and DesignWeekJA2017 invited professionals to view her two-year labour of love.

The 12,000 square foot residence is heavlily slanted to the entertainment needs of the client and security is not compromised. Every inch of the property is covered by cameras feeding into monitors inside the home.

Wanting an entertainment-friendly house the clients were treated to a backyard transformed into a surround sound pool deck, made from environmentally friendly composite. “The decking is termite- and fire-proof,” Christian said.

And being a real smart home all lights can be timed, some are motion sensored, and all can be controlled remotely through a cellphone.

A constant power source was also an uppermost concern of Christian’s meticulous clients, so back-up redundancies of solar panels and a generator is a feature of the home.

The roof of the gym upstairs is one large connection of solar panels as is the roof of an outdoor kitchen in the backyard entertainment area.

DesgnWeekJA2017 continues today with Tile City & Kohler offering consultations at their Constant Spring Road outlet starting at 10:00 am with interior designer Joelle Smith.

— Patrick Foster