“I wanted to build my own house because it was difficult to find a large enough home that could accommodate my family,” says Mr. Lin. “I was lucky to find this block, and because of my background in development, I decided to create something that suited our needs.”
The result is a state-of-the-art residence powered by ABB-free@home®, ABB’s smart home control system offering a single-screen solution for controlling blinds, lights, heating, air conditioning and door communication. It is also seamlessly integrated with Samsung SmartThings, allowing for control over home entertainment and white goods, all from the same app.
Mr Lin created his fully connected home with the help of Cube Automation – a Queensland-based smart home business dedicated to building the future of smart homes.
This collaboration has delivered an intuitive, luxury home that exemplifies the future of residential automation.
“We worked with ABB, Samsung, and Harvey Norman Commercial Queensland to create a seamless system that removes the hassle of multiple apps and devices,” says Richard Potterton, Technical Director at Cube Automation. “The goal was to provide an intuitive and elegant solution that makes everyday living simpler.”
ABB-free@home serves as the foundation of Mr. Lin’s smart home, ensuring that every device, from lighting to security, works in unison.
“ABB is constantly innovating its home automation portfolio to cater to the growing needs of homeowners,” says Sunil Abraham, National Market Development Manager, Residential, ABB Electrification. “And our global partnership with Samsung SmartThings widens the ecosystem, allowing seamless control through a single interface.”
The automation extends to every room in the house, ensuring a customised living experience. Mr. Lin’s favourite feature is the voice-controlled system. “I really love the voice activation in this house,” he says. “It makes life so much easier.”
Mr Lin goes on to explain how his home is set up with ‘scenes and routines’. One example is a single command he can give when he wakes up to prepare his home for the morning.
“‘I just say ‘Good morning, Alexa’ and everything adjusts for me,” he says. The ‘good morning’ command opens the blinds, turns on specific lights, and plays soft music as the family starts their day.
“Scenes and routines are the backbone of the automation,” says Richard. “It could be seven o'clock at night, the family is getting ready for dinner, and they can say ‘good evening Alexa’ and the system will turn on the living room and the dining room lights, put on a bit of music in the background, or maybe even have the TV display a fireplace. They’re the small details that can really make a house a home.”
Helping residents take control of their energy
Beyond convenience, the automations in Mr Lin’s home enhance energy efficiency.
“With electricity prices on the rise, Australians are looking for ways to manage and reduce energy consumption,” says Jacky Glading, National Product Specialist, Samsung Electronics Australia.
“Samsung SmartThings allows users to optimise appliance use with AI Energy Mode, which can, for example, schedule a washing machine to run only during off-peak hours,” she adds.
Mr. Lin has also invested in solar panels, further integrating renewable energy into his home. As he awaits his first energy bill, he anticipates significant savings thanks to his smart system’s ability to track and optimize usage.
ABB-free@home – the heart of the system
“The part that most excites me about this project is ABB-free@home, because it's the backbone of the whole system,” says Sean Moss, Technology Solutions and Automation Manager, Electrical at Harvey Norman Commercial Queensland.
“I've always been an advocate for user experience – if the user has a terrible experience, it doesn't matter what else you have. ABB-free@home is simple, it's clean, it's easy to use. It brings in all these devices and services in a very intuitive way.”
ABB-free@home enables full integration of home appliances and entertainment.
“It’s about more than just turning things on and off,” Richard adds. “It’s about creating a living environment that responds to the homeowner’s needs, whether that’s adjusting lighting for a cozy evening or setting up energy-efficient routines.”
A scalable and open technology for any development
While Mr. Lin’s home shows what’s possible in a single residence, the technology behind it is designed for scalability.
“ABB-free@home can be expanded beyond a single home to large-scale developments, such as multi-unit buildings,” explains Sunil. “Its modular design and single-app experience make it cost effective for developers and convenient for residents.”While Mr. Lin’s home shows what’s possible in a single residence, the technology behind it is designed for scalability.
“ABB-free@home can be expanded beyond a single home to large-scale developments, such as multi-unit buildings,” explains Sunil. “Its modular design and single-app experience make it cost effective for developers and convenient for residents.”
Sean emphasizes how this technology is shaping the future of homebuilding.
“Modern homes demand simplicity and ease of integration,” he says. “With ABB-free@home, developers can offer residents an intuitive, high-end experience without the complexity of managing multiple systems.”
Sean also highlights the benefits for large-scale developments. “From its roots, ABB-free@home has been designed for ease of deployment,” he says. “We can have a centralised, wired system on a bus cable, or a decentralised system through wireless devices. Or you can have a hybrid of both.”
Another key strength of ABB Free@Home is its interoperability.
“One of the critical aspects of ABB-free@home is that it is an open platform,” notes Sunil. “This means it can integrate with a wide range of third-party devices, allowing homeowners and developers to expand their systems with new technologies as they become available.”
The open nature of ABB-free@home ensures that it remains future-proof, offering compatibility with industry-standard protocols such as Matter.
“Homeowners and developers no longer have to worry about being locked into a specific technology provider,” explains Sunil. “They can incorporate the latest smart home devices, whether for security, energy management, or entertainment, without compatibility issues.”
A glimpse into the future of smart homes
For Mr. Lin, this project has been a great success. “I spent a lot of time and energy on this home, and I love everything about it,” he said. “But the thing I love the most is the automation – it just makes life easier.”
His experience highlights the growing demand for smart, sustainable living solutions. Whether for individual homes or large developments, single-screen solutions like ABB-free@home are paving the way for more efficient, user-friendly residences.
As automation technology continues to evolve, homes like Mr. Lin’s will serve as a model for future developments, proving that luxury, convenience, and sustainability can go hand in hand.
