Roller blinds, Specials
IBM Hursley House
Originally owned by the son of Oliver Cromwell and later used to design and produce the Spitfire, Hursley House is now home to a research and development laboratory for technology firm IBM.
Overview
Location: Winchester
Project Details:
- Estate originally belonged to Oliver Cromwell’s son
- Current mansion built in 18th Century by Sir William Heathcote
- Later used as a military hospital during WWI and for designing and building the Spitfire in WWII
- Now restored to be a workplace for over 1500 IBM employees
- Ground floor dedicated to the IBM Hursley Computing Museum
- Remainder of the house and grounds provide computer science development laboratories
Shading Details:
- Helios motorised blinds
- Spectrum 4060 silver-backed 3% screen fabric
- SMI motors and custom controls to interface with a bespoke lighting and building control system
Design Challenge
IBM has remained at the forefront of technological innovation so when blinds were required for their Hursley House laboratory renovation it was a foregone conclusion that they would need to be ‘smart’. IBM wanted a system that would integrate with their cloud platform and use live data to make intelligent shading decisions.
Solution
Umbra worked with Photonstar, who were installing smart LED lighting in Hursley House, to supply a system that would not only do an excellent job of light management, but would also allow the IBM technicians to test how their cloud data had an impact on the roller blind’s movements. The Helios roller blind system was used with SMI motors and custom-programmed SMI control interfaces. The main control unit was connected to the IBM cloud to gain access to live time, location and weather data.
Spectrum 4060 fabric was chosen, an eco-friendly material made from recycled plastic bottles. The silver backing on the fabric helps to reflect the sunlight and protect the new fit-out in this restored historic building.
