APA Solution
APA Group creates the first fully smart home in Poland from the ground up, constituting an embodiment of the ideas of APA Smart. The creative and interactive area aims to: present state-of-the-art building automation solutions and space management systems, show the products of our partners, implement and test innovative projects, as well as to show the practical dimension of APA technologies.
In APA Group, we create systems tailored to the user’s needs, delivering practical solutions in an interactive way. However, for most consumers our technologies are logical an useful solely upon getting the chance to try them for themselves; after they can touch, hear and see the tangible savings they bring. This is why we have created the APA Smart – the first concierge service in Poland, which supports creating smart spaces and selecting building automation equipment from various manufacturers.
In the creation of this service, APA focused on educating and helping clients seeking for comfort in everyday life. The embodiment of this idea is the APA Black House: a showroom for smart technologies in the form of a two-story building with multiple rooms, a mini-hotel for the guests and with a functional roof area, serving as a café.
The building is not only a workspace for the APA team, but also a meeting point for open-minded people to exchange their innovative ideas. In its essence, it combines the aesthetics of the interior and the exterior – effectively attracting the attention of passers-by – with modern technology alive under the surface of stunning design. It is a creative and innovative space, something more than just a company headquarters or a model example of a smart house. It is a fully functional building, where modern solutions are implemented and tested in practice; a building that inspires, changes, surprises the guests with its functionality, and presents the ingenuity and possibilities of our engineers and trade partners.
We will soon make it possible to control the basic parameters of the Black House directly through the Internet! Without the need to be there in person, everyone will be able to see the advantages of smart buildings and APA technologies. In its core, APA Smart is supposed to popularise the knowledge on smart spaces, so we want everyone to appreciate the pros of these solutions. Despite the fact that the technology cannot be seen at a glance, every visitor can experience its functionality, entering subsequent rooms and controlling the light, music, multimedia, temperature or air conditioning as they wish. All of that using our intuitive smartphone app, available for download. All of this is possible thanks to the implementation of the flagship APA Group system – platform NAZCA – in the building. The platform automates the data flow processes and manages big chunks of data. Thanks to the NAZCA platform, the Black House surprises its guests not only with state-of-the-art technology solutions, but also with the functional character, allowing for monitoring of energy and water consumption, as well as for control over rooms’ temperature, air humidity or safety of the guests. The building is supervised by a total of 40 CCTV cameras, and additional protections ensure that the infrastructure works even in an event of a breakdown. Movement sensors and event log allow for analysing the number of people leaving and entering the building during the day, as well as for setting the alarm or opening/closing the gate while the users are gone. Interior and exterior lightning, connected to an astronomical clock, is also fully controllable through the app. The Black House is the model implementation of our technologies, using the full spectrum of APA specialists’ technical capabilities. During their visits, the guests get to understand and experience the possibilities of automation or management of particular functions of living areas, while simultaneously improving the safety, comfort and control over multiple life aspects. By choosing one of the three packages available in the APA Smart offer – Today, Tomorrow, Future – our clients can decide on the level and advancement of the living area technical integration, as well as transfer some of the solutions used in the Black House to their own homes. The Black House is a showhouse, but it is not just for show. Not only APA employees and technological partners, but also third-party companies and entities who are looking for a creative and modern space for their own needs, can benefit from its advantages. Interested parties may book particular showrooms using a special booking system – a partner reports its business need, and APA realises it (our guests can use the equipment of particular room with the technological infrastructure of the partners, multimedia devices, catering and creative meeting scenarios, created by the company for the needs of its clients). The purpose of the Black House is to have an “open house”, which will be always under construction because it has to keep up with technology, adapt to the current technological trends and, first and foremost, interact with a user.
Currently, the Black House has the following rooms, with different purposes and showcasing the newest APA partners’ solutions and devices:
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Welcome Point
Right from the first steps inside the Black House, our guests can feel the futuristic dimension of the technology, adjusting to their needs. The colour of the flowerpots outside of the building can be changed according to the tastes and requirements of the guests; the floor mat displays a personalised welcoming message; upon entering the state-of-the-art reception room, the smile detection system will choose a welcoming message or music tailored specifically to the guest's mood. By using beacon technology, guests who have previously visited Black House can even hear their favourite song, and the screen can display graphic-text messages or e.g. a meeting schedule.
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Smart Room
Adjacent to the reception, there is a room used for business meetings, backstage conversations, or presentation of content to a smaller audience. As all other showrooms, this room has also been equipped with state-of-the-art audio system, as well as with light, music, temperature or air conditioning control. The heart of the equipment is a large LCD screen. The room has also been equipped with “Smart Glass” windows, which can turn from being transparent to milk-white in a matter of seconds, creating a room suitable for more confidential and private meetings.
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Deep Blue
An intimate room for up to ten people, the main purpose of which is to host theme meetings and trainings. The central element of the room is a long table, around which the guests are seated. The room is equipped with a video matrix consisting of four separate screens – capable of displaying 4 different contents. An important element of the room equipment will be a micro production line, showcasing APA Industry solutions in automotive industry. The room has a multi-zone Ecler sound system, a Samsung air conditioning system, a temperature system, Philips lightning and movement sensors.
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Just a minute
The stylish bathroom area is equipped with transparent stretch ceiling Barrisol Lumier and with modern electronics, offering solutions never seen before in this type of rooms. The central element of the bathroom is a smart mirror, displaying weather data, pictures of nature, or content suitable for the meeting theme or guest’s character. Thanks to the Screen Mirroring technology, you can also display content from you smartphone directly on the mirror. Soft music and possibility to freely control the colour and intensity of light gives the feeling of cosiness and tranquillity, and the toilet occupancy system with movement sensors allow for saving on utilities, as well as inform the users on the availability of a room.
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Ocean Opportunity
It is the largest and the most universal of the available rooms. The big area, divided into multiple smaller parts, can be used for different business and creative purposes – from theme breakfasts or Yoga lessons, accompanied by relaxing music and oriental scents, through prestige conferences and discussion panels, up to company parties. The guests have at their disposal a modern audio-visual system, Internet access points, as well as control over Philips lighting and climate comfort (Samsung air conditioning). All of that in accordance to previously specified event scenarios.
The guests can also use the upstairs catering area – Coffee Point. It is perfect for more private conversations or for a relaxing break during trainings. Coffee Point is separated from the area by Smart Glass, with adjustable transparency. We also plan to introduce an open cafe on the terrace. The minimalist interior is decorated in accordance with all current design trends, and the clarity of sound is assured by Ecophon soundproof panels. The use of the area is limited solely by the partner's imagination.
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Cinema Paradiso
On -1 level, we have prepared an area ideal for backstage conversations and relax. The multimedia showroom is equipped with prestige audio-visual systems from our partners, as well as with Philips lighting system, allowing for free choice of event scenarios in accordance with the needs and requirements of guests. You can control the source and volume of music, intensity and colour of light, as well as temperature and humidity of air. Moreover, you can display video content in the highest image resolution. The room may be used by APA employees, as well as invited guests or guests who booked the area.
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Lounge Room
Adjacent to the multimedia room, there is an area perfect for casual business conversations. You can play music from separate source, different from the Multiroom, and see a state-of-the-art safe of one of our partners. During business meetings, the safe is used for different scenarios, e.g. it may house unique gifts for guests or exquisite wines.
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Control Room
The control room of the Black House is equipped with switch stations, allowing for control over utilities, air conditioning, lighting, furnace, plant watering and sprinklers.
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In the sky
In accordance with the current trends in building development, the roof area is also used. It houses an extraordinary open-roof cafe, as well as a small greenhouse for tomatoes and herbs, controlled by automated sprinkling and planting systems. The greenhouse is powered by nearby RES elements.
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Hotel
For the needs of our guests, we have located a small rest area adjacent to the main building. Guests visiting APA Black House can use two stylishly designed bedrooms. There is also a small workshop, and in the future we plan to equip the area with a small kitchen.
