Echoflex Solutions breaks through wireless barriers at 600 Steamboat

Overlooking Connecticut’s Greenwich Harbour, the 600 Steamboat office complex was built in 1972 when wired lighting controls were the standard. During a recent infrastructure update, Echoflex Solutions brought the power of wireless control to the building.

The cement, coffered ceiling is a part of what makes 600 Steamboat an architectural landmark. While the building’s honey-comb ceiling is a unique feature, it presented a near impossibility for wired upgrades and significant obstruction to wireless control.

“The project barred the use of wires due to the ceiling’s thick concrete structure,” said Sara Banta, the senior project coordinator for Lightscapes Automation Inc. However, the pockets in the massive concrete ceiling also obstruct radio frequency (RF), making it difficult to transmit signals. Only Echoflex Solutions offered wireless control system that was strong enough to cover the entire structure.

“Echoflex tackled the unwelcoming wireless environment by adding a control per lighting fixture, taking advantage of the repeating functions built into the devices,” Echoflex sales and marketing manager Paul Greening said. This created a strong communications platform and also built in the ability for tenants to change their system layout in the future.

The 600 Steamboat project was about more than a parking garage, though. The building’s lighting upgrade demanded a range of lighting control solutions, including switches, ceiling-mount occupancy censors, daylight sensors, dimmers, and more. Banta and her team were impressed by how Echoflex was able to overcome the diversity and difficulty of the site.

“Our engineers that are on the project saw the way Echoflex’s system worked and loved it,” Banta said. “And so they put it on their drawings.”

Banta added, “I am always impressed with the service level from Echoflex. It is a great team. They are a lot of fun but they get the job done and you don’t always see that.”

Products used

  • Ceiling Mount Occupancy Sensor
  • Dimming Light Controller
  • Switches
  • Contact Interface Unit
  • Daylight sensors
  • On/Off Lighting Controller
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