A future-focused vision
Ian Malouf, the owner and founder of MFG Global, wanted to set a new benchmark in the Gold Coast property market which is seeing a high demand for luxury apartments but not enough supply. High-end amenities were fundamental to this vision as were smart solutions that balance luxury with energy-efficient, sustainable living.
“Luxury apartments are about living, working and playing like you want to, both in the apartment and also outside of it,” says Ian. “It’s also about simplicity – you don’t want a thousand lights in the place to manage. So, you need smart buildings with sensors that let you control your electricity use and reduce costs.”
According to Peter Wilding, CEO of MFG Global, this dual focus on luxury and sustainability meant the project needed to accommodate both the current and future needs of its residents.
Our objective very early on was to differentiate ourselves by being not only generous in space and provisioning, but also generous in dealing with today's demands, while making provisions for tomorrow.”
"We are incorporating new and innovative approaches to the way people want to live. It’s important for incoming owners to ensure that they have highly efficient systems in place to avoid wasting energy.”
The development team at REMI Residences carried out a rigorous evaluation of the available lifestyle solutions in the market. When it came to smart home solutions, Ian and Peter found that ABB-free@home enabled on WE Wumbo’s ‘digital concierge’ platform best suited to their vision for REMI Residences.
Human-centric technology
Michael Lee, Founder and CEO of WE Wumbo, is passionate about digitising built-form environments by humanising technology and building smarts. He also knows that while property developers may have ambitions of what they want to create, they may not always be up-to-speed with the latest technologies.
“At WE Wumbo, we ask developers like Ian and Peter what their vision for their project in terms of residents experiences and project legacy? And then we go look at the best products to achieve this project vision,” says Michael.
Additionally - how do you future proof today's technology solutions given that the development cycle could be up to five years?”
WE Wumbo’s ‘digital concierge’ is a platform that enables future-forward living for REMI residents – by bringing together many experiences in a simple mobile app interface. From booking a facility, EV charging, parcel collection, cleaning and maintenance services to connecting with a community of neighbours, residents experience a world of benefits at their fingertips. More importantly, it helps them manage their ABB-free@home automations to control their lights, heating and air conditioning.
“The solutions we want to determine with WE Wumbo and ABB are countless, and we know that each owner of this properties will enjoy all of the R&D that WE Wumbo and ABB have invested in," says Peter.
ABB free@home was enabled on WE Wumbo’s ‘digital concierge’ through seamless installation and integration services provided by Harvey Norman Commercial Queensland.
“Our collaboration with WE Wumbo and ABB ensures that REMI Residences is at the forefront of luxury high-end apartment living,” says Sean Moss, Technology Solutions and Automation Manager, Electrical, Harvey Norman Commercial Queensland.
The platform also enables EV charging for REMI residents through ABB Terra AC EV chargers installed at the apartment complex. IPD, a key ABB channel partner with an extensive distribution network, played an instrumental role in the delivery of these chargers.
Smarter is greener
As an electrification and automation leader, ABB is at the forefront of enabling a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. Sunil Abraham, National Market Development Manager - Residential at ABB Australia, believes this transition to a greener future will need smarter living.
“40% of global electricity consumption is in buildings, of which residential buildings are a significant part,” says Sunil. “So, to reduce our carbon footprint, energy efficiency should start from homes. To help residents in this regard, ABB is constantly innovating with its smart home portfolio.
“The ABB free@home smart home system achieves high levels of energy efficiency in homes through powerful third-party integrations, which makes a wide ecosystem. The integration with Samsung SmartThings and the future home automation protocols, the Matter and Thread makes the ecosystem much wider and enables a multitude of devices, home appliances, EV chargers, solar inverters, all to be a part of a single ecosystem.”
You can now optimally control home appliances. There could be devices which consume higher amounts of electricity that can now be optimally operated. All these contribute to higher levels of luxury and comfort while ensuring energy efficiency.”
Sunil feels the seamless integration of the ABB solution on WE Wumbo’s platform reflects their joint commitment to delivering innovative and efficient experiences. Michael agrees that it is this shared vision that makes them best-fit partners.
“When it comes to smart solutions for buildings, ABB, in my opinion, does it better than anyone else in the world,” says Michael.
Blueprint for the future
Ian is delighted with the way the project has turned out and feels it has raised the bar for luxurious and sustainable living. And the ABB-WE Wumbo partnership played a big part in this success by enabling the right technology to deliver a host of benefits to REMI residents.
Technology is not that difficult. Making it simple to use is the hard part,” says Ian. “ABB and WE Wumbo have simplified the technology, made it accessible and it delivers great cost savings.”
Peter is confident that MFG Global will build on this partnership in future projects. He is keen to see more residents enjoying the benefits of research-led products and solutions developed by ABB and WE Wumbo.
As stated by Peter, “this partnership is not just project specific. The benefits that they’ve brought, will definitely be adopted as a minimum standard into our pipeline of developments in Southeast Queensland.”
