High tech automation is one new condo development’s calling card

New technologies are driving the marketing behind a $350 million luxury condo community that’s being built in one of this area’s premier master plans.

Selling has commenced for The Sterling Collection at Silverleaf, an enclave comprised of 213 condos (starting price: $1 million) in five four-story buildings, nestled within 2,000 acres of Silverleaf, a development that’s part of Scottsdale’s 8,300-acre DC Ranch.

Cypress Development Group is the developer and builder of The Sterling Collection. Cypress was formed in late 2013 when its CEO, Nathan Day, merged his development company with another owned by his best friend. Day tells BD+C that “timing” was how a startup like Cypress was able to acquire land in Silverleaf during the last economic downturn.

Sterling’s one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos, with floor plans that range from 1,900 to 3,300 sf, feature all of the familiar flourishes of luxury for-sale dwellings: oak floors, pro-grade appliances, 11-foot-high ceilings, ornately appointed master bathrooms, etc.

The master bathroom with one of The Sterling Collection’s condos, whose floor plans range from 1,900 to 3,300 sf.

Residents will have access to resort-style amenities such as fully furnished hospitality suites for guests; a resident lounge with demonstration kitchen, private dining, library, fireplace and conference room; Silverleaf’s 50,000-sf Mediterranean-style clubhouse and spa; and an 18-hole 7,322-yard golf course.

But what could set The Sterling Collection apart from other condo communities in this market, says Day, is its high-tech home automation. Each condo will be equipped with a whole-house system that controls everything from its lighting, heating, and cooling, to its entertainment components, security, and window coverings. This system—supplied by Creston and run by two iPads positioned around the condo, hand-held remotes, and touchscreens—allows owners to dim lights to 80% of full power levels.

Secured private elevators provide direct entry into each home. Day says that it’s unusual for mid-rise multifamily buildings to include elevators.

The buildings will include a total of 15 charging stations for electric cars. And as Cypress aspires to earn LEED Silver for this project, Sterling is being built with an energy conserving HVAC system, LED lighting in each home, and low-VOC paint.

Perhaps The Sterling Collection’s most unique feature, though, is its automated robotic valet, which Day claims is the first of its kind to be installed in a residential development on the West Coast.

Oak floors and high-end appliances distinguish the condos’ kitchens. A whole-house system controls each room’s lighting, heating, cooling, and entertainment functions.

The system uses omni-directional, battery-powered robots and a guidance system to carry vehicles parked on self-supporting steel trays to and from storage spaces. At the touch of a button, homeowners can call-up their vehicle to arrive in minutes.

A Florham Park, N.J.-based startup called Boomerang Systems is supplying the valet technology. Its CEO, Mark Patterson, told CNN that this system has multiple advantages over conventional parking: for one thing, cars can be parked more compactly, freeing up land for other real estate. The parking lot doesn’t need to be lighted and requires minimal ventilation. Plus, because the valet uses multiple entry bays, robots, and lifts, there’s no single point of failure. “If any one thing goes down, we can still operate the system,” he says.

(To see how the valet works, and what The Sterling Collection will look like when it’s completed, click here https://vimeo.com/116801599).

A construction LLC controlled by Cypress Development called Bild is building The Sterling Collection. Day says the first phase of 100 condos should be completed by the second quarter of 2016. The Kor Group, which specializes in luxury real estate, is handling sales and marketing of this project. 

Secured private elevators