The city of Gdansk on Poland’s north coast is world famous for its docks and rich architecture.
But now alongside the maritime history is a glimpse of the future: a floating pod at the cutting edge of design and technology.
Moored on the quiet Motlawa river, guests at the modern single apartment ‘Flohotel’ experience the key benefits of smart home automation.
Maciej Nowakowski, Co-founder & CEO of Floating Gdansk, the company that owns the apartment, was looking for a smart building technology solution that would match the sleek lines and unusual location of his floating apartment: “We wanted to create a very modern place, designed for very demanding customers who want to have a little bit more than a standard hotel, so we equipped the Flohotel with a very advanced control system.”
That chosen system is the fully customizable ABB smart home solution, ABB-free@home®.
Using a sleek control panel in the apartment or a dedicated smartphone app, guests can take complete control of the apartment. A simple tap on a screen controls heating, lighting and air-conditioning - as well as the blinds and underfloor heating.
For extra atmosphere, guests can also take advantage of pre-programmed ‘room scene’ functionality, which allows them to configure the apartment to suit their mood.
The functions can be applied both individually and in combination with others, and as well as saving time, the smart control of light and heat can lead to considerable energy savings too.
“Most of our guests are initially surprised by how automated the apartment is. Some are frightened that it may be too complicated to use, but they soon realize how simple and intuitive the system is, with guests really rating how the technology improves the quality of their stay,” added Nowakowski.
Using a modular construction, the apartment was assembled on the banks of the river in just two days. Fully air-conditioned, the Flohotel includes a king-sized bedroom, fully equipped kitchenette, dining area and spacious lounge with full length panoramic windows to make the most of the river view.
And of course once the patio doors are open, there’s little to stand between apartment guests and the local ducks or passing kayakers.
“The Flohotel is a great way to experience technologies first-hand that you would usually see in a Bond movie,” said Jaroslaw Grabowski, Local Product Marketing Manager, Building and Home Automation Solutions at ABB. “Staying in the apartment gives people the chance to see what possibilities and benefits smart technology brings, especially if they are considering investing in smart solutions for their home.
“We wanted to help create an apartment of the future. We feel we have struck the right balance between clever design and smart functionality, to make this a welcoming home on the river.”
ABB-free@home® is tailored especially to the requirements of smarter residential buildings and is ideally suited both for new buildings and renovation projects. It forms part of a family of Home and Building Automation products designed by ABB to create intuitive and welcoming spaces for customers. ABB’s smart buildings solutions will be on show at this year’s IFA exhibition in Berlin from 6-11 September. IFA is the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances.
