Penthouse in Amsterdam: SELVE smart home system redefines control options

Open-plan and flooded with light – concrete meets plenty of glass and a striking metal façade. The high-quality duplex penthouse of Marc Schlaghecke and his family offers a total living space of 235 m² and is surrounded by a spacious terrace. For four years now, the family has been enjoying exceptional views over the Dutch capital. Meanwhile, 52 zip screens protect their top-floor apartment from unwanted views – and in particular from excessive heat in summer. Their extremely convenient control is handled by the smart SELVE Home 3 system in combination with commeo radio technology. “Everything happens fully automatically – we no longer have to worry about anything ourselves,” says Marc Schlaghecke.

SELVE radio drives operate the zip screens

The custom-fit sun protection and its motorisation were provided by the Dutch company Schellekens & Schellekens (Hunter Douglas), a long-standing specialist partner of SELVE. The made-to-measure zip screens are driven by powerful SELVE motors and operated using SE Plus-RC radio universal drives. This drive type from the Lüdenscheid-based full-range supplier is also used in other apartments of the reference property – around 600 motors are installed in the residential complex overall. 

The screens of the two-storey penthouse apartment were and continue to be controlled using SELVE technology. The system has now been upgraded from SELVE Home Server 2 to the next “level”: with the SELVE Home Server 3 (SHS 3) as an intelligent control centre, even smarter future technology has moved into the Schlaghecke household. The innovative solution impresses with broader, more efficient use thanks to Matter compatibility. This cross-manufacturer standard allows existing and new smart home devices to be seamlessly networked. And the modern future technology from the Lüdenscheid-based company does not only impress resident Marc Schlaghecke.

New smart home system leaves nothing to be desired

Dutch specialist installer Dennis Blokland and his company “Zonweringvakman” supported the commissioning and benefited from further improvements of the SHS 3. The new smart home system offers even more intuitive initial setup and operation. In cooperation with Oliver Rentmeister, SELVE Area Manager Benelux, two intelligent servers were installed in the penthouse – one for each floor to ensure optimum radio coverage. “Thanks to the even easier initial setup of the SHS 3 via QR code and Bluetooth setup, it was a quick and straightforward process,” says Oliver Rentmeister. Using the free SELVE Home 3 app, all system components were then integrated “completely easily”, and individual groups and scenes were created and coordinated for customised control. As a result, the residents’ wishes are fully met: the next generation of SELVE Home has since been reliably in action in the duplex penthouse, tailored to their personal needs.

Smart control with the SELVE Home 3 app

Resident Marc Schlaghecke is thoroughly impressed by the new possibilities associated with the SHS 3. Thanks to the Matter capability of the home server, for example, voice control with Google Home was implemented with minimal effort. In everyday life, the smart SELVE system now makes family life easier in many ways: it automatically controls the screens depending on sunrise and sunset, increases living comfort, helps save energy and provides additional security through monitoring. Marc Schlaghecke sees numerous advantages in the SELVE Home 3 app in particular, as it allows the screens to be controlled very easily, offers access to the system at any time while on the move and enables presence simulation. “I can also activate a timer in the app so that the screens move up and down automatically at specific times – everything is extremely easy to use and has more than proven itself for us,” the resident reports. In addition to the app, commeo hand-held transmitters provide convenient operation at home; in the penthouse, five adjacent screens are controlled as a group per channel.

SELVE Home Server 3 ensures energy efficiency

In the future, Marc Schlaghecke plans to expand his system with commeo sun and wind sensors in order to automatically control the screens based on defined threshold values – for example during intense sunlight and the associated increase in indoor temperature. These components can also be easily integrated into the SHS 3 via the app. The system is perfectly prepared for all smart options, adapts flexibly to individual requirements at any time, increases living comfort and ensures safety and energy efficiency.

About Selve

SELVE is a global market leader in the field of roller shutter belt winders and a sought-after specialist for drives and controls in the areas of roller shutters and textile sun protection. Based in Lüdenscheid, Sauerland, SELVE represents a high level of expertise in the development and production of roller shutter components as well as innovative drives and controls for sun protection as a medium-sized family-owned company. Founded over 150 years ago in 1866 at its current location, SELVE remains under the ownership of the founding family to this day.