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Wandsworth Electrical, UK manufacturer of - among other things - luxury switches and sockets, targets architects and installers looking for bespoke solutions that merge traditional craftsmanship with modern home automation. References? How about the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai?
Wandsworth Electrical's product line is an industrial melting pot of craftsmanship and technology. The switches and sockets are available in over fifty exclusive materials and finishes: from antique brass to smoked copper. But really, the affluent customer may think it up as crazy as he wants: Wandsworth Electrical manufactures it without blinking.
When Wandsworth Electrical was acquired almost a decade ago by Germany's GIRA, which develops intelligent system solutions for building technology and smarthome solutions, the move to connectivity and modern home automation was assured. Consequently, the product line today meets the newfangled requirements of the KNX standard for smarthomes used by GIRA, in addition to the applicable European directives
“Wandsworth Electrical always opts for authentic finishes,” Steven Moreau, sales manager at GIRA Belgium, explains why GIRA acquired the company at the time. “If you see bronze, then it is bronze. Together with the customer, the company searches for the perfect colour and shine, exactly as he desires, and regardless of the effort it takes. The service is not only flawless, but also uncompromising.”
Wandsworth Electrical's specific manufacturing process ensures that this sophisticated level of customisation is possible. The manufacturer still works partly with traditional machinery, with some pieces even dating back to the 1950s - not a matter of thrift, but of individuality. That approach, in addition to its unique look, also increases its flexibility to respond to standards across the channel.
Without smart home automation, Wandsworth Electrical would be a relic of the past. But with GIRA's KNX system, it now offers user-friendly and scalable solutions for home automation. With energy monitoring, programming, hacking protection, climate control, data analysis and predictive settings - protection against stormy weather, for example, by closing shutters and turning off power - the possibilities are just as numerous as with the familiar products in the GIRA range.
Still, the collaboration brought challenges. “For example, the wiring of the switches and sockets from Wandsworth Electrical had to be adapted to the KNX standard. And a solution was also needed for the metal wall housing. In the UK, they loyally adhere to such traditions, preferring then the complexity of additional earthing,” says Steven Moreau. “But in Europe, of course, that is unusable.”
Wandsworth Electrical's switches, sockets and related electrical control and finishing components are divided into nine collections, both minimalist elegant collections (Penthouse, Infinity) and collections with historic charm (Classic, Classic Square Edge, Victorian, Georgian and Adam) and modern collections (Dimensions, Crystal). Each collection is a statement for interiors, whether in a heritage building like the British Library in England or in a top hotel like the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. “When we first saw the craftsmanship of Wandsworth Electrical with the GIRA team, we knew: this is it!”, sums up Steven Moreau.
