One System, Every Room, One App, No Flicker.
The architect specified a layered scheme — ambient cove, downlight wash for art, decorative pendants, tunable-white in the primary bedroom and kitchen, theatrical-grade dimming for the media room. The clients wanted one app to control everything and no perceptible flicker on phase-cut loads. That meant Lutron Athena across the entire home, dimming compatibility tested at the fixture level before specification.
Specification, Not Guesswork.
We produced reflected ceiling plans in Vectorworks, a fixture schedule with model numbers, color temperatures, lumen output, beam angles, and dimming protocols. Every fixture was bench-tested for flicker against the proposed dimmer module before installation. We provided the architect with engraving lists for each of the 38 keypads — three rounds of revision on the labels alone.
Wiring was a mix of standard line-voltage on the primary loads, low-voltage Class 2 on the cove runs, and 0-10V on the linear LED. Athena hubs are tucked in a low-voltage closet with a UPS. Programming was done over two visits with the clients walking each room.
| Control System | Lutron Athena · 4 hubs · 38 sēvīa keypads |
|---|---|
| Fixtures | 142 total · DMF, Element, Lucifer, Bega exterior |
| Tunable White | 2700–6500K in primary, kitchen, primary bath |
| Dimming Protocols | ELV, MLV, 0-10V, Lutron LDE2 (low-voltage) |
| Programming Scenes | 11 per public room · 6 per private room |
| Backup | 10kVA UPS for control hubs · 4hr runtime |
| Documentation | As-built RCP · fixture schedule · keypad map |
| Warranty | 5 yr workmanship · Lutron 8 yr equipment |
The Clients Use The App Maybe Once A Week.
The point of good lighting programming is that the scenes are right, so you forget the system exists. We ran six months of post-occupancy revisions at no charge — small label fixes, two scene tweaks, one fixture replacement under warranty. The home was featured in Texas Modern Living in spring 2025; the architect has brought us into three more projects since.
Working With An Architect?
Bring us in early — at framing or earlier. Better fixture placement, better dimming compatibility, better outcomes.