CE Pro December 2022 - 23

doing the lighting in the ceiling alongside the
architectural speakers.
" If you own the ceiling, you own the project.
That is so true, " he says. " It was easy for
me to evolve into lighting. We're big fans of
Lutron; we do a lot of Ketra. I love lighting. I
think it's incredible. "
Today, Architechnology has full-time lighting
designers on staff. In terms of evolving
into line-voltage electrical, that move was not
as clear cut.
" I was forced to add electrical because
everything I sell gets plugged in. Everything I
sell needs electricity. I could no longer rely on
subpar electricians that don't know lighting
control systems, and that wasted our time
waiting for them to install an outlet behind a
TV. Electricians are hard-working great guys,
but they're just moving from job to job trying
to get things done... running their company
from their cell phones, " he explains.
" Now, with our own electrical division,
I'm the master of my domain on a project
because I control the electrical schedule
and sell the lights. In the first three months
we did $250,000 in electrical sales without
stepping on the gas. "
Architechnology Designs has a 70% residential/30%
commercial revenue mix, with
the niche focus on the high-end of both
markets. On the commercial side, it has done
boardroom projects for corporate clients in
New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston and
London. The customer care required for the
residential side of the business is driving
Wohlleben to create a dedicated service department.
Using Parasol as its go-to solution,
Wohlleben has his sights set on building up
his service department and earning recurring
monthly revenue (RMR) both for his residential
and commercial accounts.
" Some residential clients can be difficult,
especially when the cable box goes out at
11 o'clock at night. My goal is to build up
that service department and have recurring
revenue so my company can be evaluated
by having that recurring revenue, owning
real estate, building us as a corporation, and
we're not equated with trunkslammers, " he
comments.
One other way Architechnology is distinguishing
itself in the market is through
design and best practices. For example, the
cepro.com
Installing Samsung's
The Wall for Clive Davis
ARCHITECHNOLOGY DESIGNS' customer-centric mantra is clearly on
display in a recent installation for record producer Clive Davis (below), the
music industry icon known for launching the careers of Whitney Houston,
Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, and many more. The 90-year-old Davis
recently worked with Architechnology to transform his dedicated home
theater space in Westchester, N.Y., using The Wall microLED from Samsung.
Once a standard home theater with an outdated projector, Davis worked
with Architechnology and Samsung to modernize the room, which is
now equipped with a 146-inch 4K microLED display with HDR10+ and an
0.84mm pixel pitch.
" Clive just turned 90, and he doesn't have 20 minutes to get a theater up
and running and working. He just wants to pick up a remote and turn it on
like a TV like in his bedroom, " recalls Wohlleben, who completed the installation
last year. Davis' assistant said the delay in having the projector warm up,
the sequencing with the receiver, the Apple TV coming out of sleep mode,
etc., was too slow.
The solution was Samsung's The Wall. The frame prevents any gaps in the
picture and simplifies the installation process. The Wall's design and thin
profile also created more room for seating, where once bulky fans and external
operating systems were located for the projection-based solution. The
Wall's reflection black technology delivers solid contrast and detail, boasting
twice the color purity and a wider color gamut than conventional LED displays.
Optimum peak brightness and grayscale expression solves the exterior
light problem, providing a completely immersive, theater-grade experience
for Davis and his guests.
" I had seen The Wall before and had conversations with Samsung, and it just
seemed like the right fit. Since the installation I haven't had any service calls. It
always works. It turns on like a TV, and Clive just loves it, " says Wohlleben.
Davis uses his new video wall in the home theater often and says the
results exceeded his expectations. He shares, " I use it every weekend. The results
are spectacular, high definition, clarity, and tremendous advantages over
the system that was here before. On nights when I have a big party, people
crowd in, and I've had as many as 80 people in the theater. It is special. "
Davis primarily uses the room to entertain A-list guests and screen immersive
content in the comfort of his home.
For the audio, Architechnology leaned on James Loudspeaker to create
specially designed LCR built-in speakers. The audio is powered by a beefy
McIntosh amplifier in the back of the room.
December 2022 CE Pro | 23
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CE Pro December 2022

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