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Basalte × smartfabrik · Cologne · Düsseldorf · NRW BasalteGold Partner

Basalte smart home in Cologne & Düsseldorf — designed, selected, delivered.

Holistic, manufacturer-independent KNX planning for your Basalte home. Installation by our sister company elektrofabrik. Basalte is our ultra-premium choice — we plan it, and the installation goes through our sister company elektrofabrik.

Request a private showroom tourThe whole Basalte range

Our ultra-premium choice — as a Basalte Gold Partner we specify Basalte where operating the house becomes part of the design itself; installation runs through our sister company elektrofabrik.

Basalte Gold PartnerThe highest partner level — awarded by Basalte itself.
100+ projects deliveredFrom town house to 1,200 m² villa, in three countries.
Engineers, technicians & master electriciansPlanned by people who can also build.
Installation: elektrofabrikDesign and delivery under one roof.
Why Basalte

Why Basalte is our ultra-premium choice

Where we plan the very best in design and operation, our choice falls on Basalte — hand-made in Belgium, sitting on top of the open KNX standard, in which lighting, climate, music and security speak one language.

A closed ecosystem

Control points, touch displays, multiroom audio, video entry and the Core server from one source — natively matched to each other instead of a jumble of brands.

One app for everything

The Basalte Home app controls lighting, shading, climate, scenes, music and cameras in one calm interface — the same logic on display, push-button sensor and remote control.

Design with 100+ awards

Sentido multitouch, the Deseo OLED thermostat, the Fibonacci switch based on the golden ratio: flush-mounted, pared back, timeless. The technology steps back.

Hand-built in Belgium

Precision-milled from glass, aluminium and metal, assembled by hand. Around a dozen premium finishes, up to a wrought-iron look — quality you can feel.

KNX-open & future-proof

Basalte refines the experience layer on the open KNX standard (500+ manufacturers). Your home stays extendable — not chained to a single company.

Music in studio quality

Asano multiroom with Aalto, Plano and Cielo loudspeakers — controlled by app, push-button sensor and scene. The sound belongs to the interior, the technology disappears.

The difference

You do not recognise a Basalte home by the switch.
You recognise it by never having to look for it.

For that to be so, the operating logic is settled before the first chase is cut. That is precisely our part of the work.

Basalte × smartfabrik

Not just Basalte — properly planned

The manufacturer's site shows products. We supply what makes a Basalte home work in the first place: considered planning, honest advice and clean execution.

  • Manufacturer-independent planning — we choose Basalte where it fits, not because we have to.
  • One continuous process — consultation → concept → product selection → installation, from a single source.
  • Installation through elektrofabrik — our sister company builds what we plan.
  • Certified KNX trainers — we teach KNX, we do not just offer it.
  • The pillar standing beside the architect — technical architect for your smart home.
How we work

How we plan your Basalte home

01

First consultation & private tour

We listen, we understand your project — and we experience Basalte together in person, including at the Basalte showroom in Düsseldorf.

02

Concept & product selection

Finishes, push-button sensors, lighting scenes and controls are agreed and made tangible before building starts.

03

Detailed design & KNX programming

Manufacturer-independent KNX planning and programming by our certified KNX trainers.

04

Delivery & handover

Installation by our sister company elektrofabrik — one team, one responsibility, a proper briefing at handover.

Selected projects

Basalte in real projects

Three houses that Basalte carries — from the south of Cologne via Düsseldorf to Riyadh. All the details and further projects are in our projects.

01Villa in the south of CologneBasalte controls throughout the house, multiroom audio with bespoke solutions, plus a complex lighting design and pool and garden irrigation control. Interior by Studio ASH.
02Penthouse Düsseldorf, 450 m²Multiroom in every room, Deseo as the room control, film night on one scene: projector, screen, light and blackout run together — by voice as well, if you wish.
03Riyadh villa, 1,200 m²800 DALI luminaires, lighting scenes, external venetian blind, pool and climate control on one system. A scale at which operating logic and labelling decide everyday life.
View all projects →

Basalte Gold Partner since 2026

We plan the complete
Basalte range.

Twenty-five devices in eight families — from the switch on the wall to the power amplifier in the technical room. We plan them all, and for each one we know the moment in the build when it is due.

25
Devices we plan
12
finishes in three collections
100+
projects completed in three countries
1
One contact from design through to handover

The range

Twenty-five devices. One house.

Photographs by the manufacturer. The range in rooms, not against a white background.

We plan all of them: Sentido, Fibonacci, Chopin, Matisse, Enzo, Lisa, Ellie, Lena, Eve, Eve Curve and Eve Plus, Miro, Deseo, Deseo RTR, Core Plus, Core Mini, Asano power amplifiers, AV modules, Cielo, Plano R3 and R5, Rondo, Aalto, Adelante, Auro, Via, sockets, cover frames.

A hand on a four-gang Sentido in brushed brass on a travertine wall
01 / 05 · On the wall

What the hand
touches.

Settled with the electrical design

Thirty to sixty control points are normal in a house of this size. They all sit on one common grid: a single flush box, one height, one finish. Which device sits where is your choice at the sample table.

Sentido — the family's capacitive push-button, two or four touch fields, without lettering. Two-gang and four-gang are identical in build: how many functions sit at one point is not a shell-construction question. We record the assignment on the drawing, so that in every room the same position switches the same function.

  1. Fibonacci The switch in portrait format. The lettering lights up as the hand approaches. The engraving is done in the factory. We go through the key assignment with you before ordering — text or symbol, and the inserts stay exchangeable.
  2. Chopin Mechanical rockers instead of touch, with a socket or USB if wanted. A tangible click, for everyone who wants one — in the bedroom, in the children's room and wherever guests do the operating.
  3. Matisse One to four buttons, with a cable or without. The wireless version puts a control point where no cable runs. In existing buildings often the most elegant solution.
  4. Enzo A rounded frame in polished aluminium with an inlay. It sits in the same back box but is surface-mounted rather than flush — which is why the mounting type belongs with the wall finish.
  5. Lisa A display in the format of a switch. It fits the same grid: a control point later becomes a display — same back box, same opening.

In the same finish, on the same wall: sockets in one, two and three gangs, for type E and F plugs, with USB or RJ45 where wanted — where that is the case, we plan the supply cable with them. Alongside them cover frames for 55 mm inserts from Gira, Jung and Schneider-Merten, in the Swiss version for 60 mm inserts: in the utility room, the cellar and the technical rooms we fit a standard make and set it into a Basalte frame.

Bedroom at night, Chopin and socket in the same finish on the timber wall
Switch and socket in the same surface, on the same grid.
House entrance at night, Adelante as an illuminated brass line in the exposed concrete wall
02 / 05 · At the entrance

Who is at
the door.

Settled with the external works design

Adelante is the only device you see from the street, and the first one a guest touches. The same design language, the same app as indoors — instead of a foreign brand beside the entrance.

Adelante — a 5.5-inch OLED in Full HD, a real bell push, plus modules for camera, card reader and fingerprint; several cameras are possible. Which modules are fitted determines the overall width and with it the opening in the wall or pillar. Wall or pillar we decide together with your external works design — then foundation, conduit and supply cable come from one tender and one source.

  1. Lena The largest display in the range — and at the same time the indoor station of the door intercom. One device instead of two beside the front door. Lena sits on the network via PoE; that wall position therefore gets a network outlet.

One dimension

Nine of these devices sit in the same back box.

80 × 80 millimetres, a single-gang flush-mounted back box: Sentido, Fibonacci, Chopin, Enzo, Lisa, Deseo, Deseo RTR, Via and the wall version of the Auro all share the same opening. For you that means: at shell stage we fix the grid — nothing more is needed there. Which device sits where, and in which finish, you decide during product selection — the twelve finishes are then laid out in front of you and we go through room by room.

Sentido · 80 × 80 Fibonacci · 80 × 120 Ellie · 155 × 80 Lena · 165 × 256 Miro · 240 × 41 Auro · ⌀ 52 0100 200300 mm
In proportion to one another, to scale according to manufacturer data. Chopin, Deseo, Via, Lisa and the Auro wall cover share the 80 × 80 format of the Sentido and are drawn here only once.
  1. Ellie, Lena and Adelantecarry formats of their own. We draw their installation detail separately and coordinate it with the wall build-up.
  2. Auro in the ceilingneeds an opening of 52 millimetres. We draw it into the reflected ceiling plan, together with luminaires, ventilation outlets and sprinklers.
  3. The displayshang off the network, not the bus. A Basalte design is therefore always a network design as well. We do that too.
  4. What does not come from BasalteBasalte does not make outdoor or wet-room devices. There another make goes into the plan — we plan manufacturer-independently, and that is the rule, not the exception.

And if the house already stands

In existing buildings we work differently. The ceiling stays as it is, and Matisse in its wireless version takes exactly those control points where no cable runs. Rondo hangs where recessing is impossible — on exposed concrete, in a listed building. That way Basalte reaches the wall even where nobody wants to open it.

The quickest way is a conversation, with your floor plan on the table.

Request a showroom tour +49 211 838 66 870
Deseo in bronze on a dark timber wall, the display showing temperature and humidity
03 / 05 · In the room

What sets
the room.

Climate, lighting, shading, scenes and music run through the same interface as the switch beside them — on the wall or in your hand. One device fewer on the wall, one operating logic fewer to remember.

Settled before the internal walls are chased

Deseo — the room control unit with an OLED display: temperature and humidity, plus lighting, shading, scenes and music on the same device. So that the reading matches the room, we choose the measuring point with you room by room — internal wall, no radiator, no cupboard, no direct sun — and have the conduit to the back box sealed. At the same time we settle the actuators on the heating manifold and the control strategy for underfloor heating.

  1. Deseo RTR Same housing, same back box, temperature only. For the guest room, the dressing room and the utility room.
  2. Ellie The mid-size display, OLED in full HD. Its own format, its own installation detail — which we draw together with the wall build-up.
  3. Eve, Eve Curve and Eve Plus Mounts that set an iPad flush into a wall or a table surface and charge it. Eve for the wall, Eve Curve for the horizontal surface, Eve Plus with a removable sleeve. We check the iPad model against the manufacturer's current list.
  4. Miro The handheld remote with display and joystick. Lighting from the armchair, without getting up — home cinema, living room, bedroom.

Every one of these devices has its moment in the build sequence. We know it and we are there.

  1. Electrical design
  2. Shell stage
  3. Groundworks
  4. before the screed
  5. Cable installation
  6. before chasing
  7. before plastering
  8. Product selection
Rondo loudspeakers as wall objects in grazing light above a seating landscape
04 / 05 · Sound

What you hear
without seeing it.

An audio zone is one amplifier channel and one loudspeaker cable from the rack into the room. We go through the house with you: where stereo is wanted, where mono is enough, where music plays no part. The Core Plus brings two zones with it; for every further one we keep rack units, connected load and ventilation free in the technical room.

Settled before the screed

Cielo — the trimless ceiling loudspeaker, full range, home cinema included. It disappears into the ceiling; all that stays visible is a white surface. Installation depth, insulation and ceiling build-up we coordinate with the drylining contractor; they sit on the same ceiling plan as luminaires and ventilation outlets.

  1. Plano R3 and R5 In-wall installation in two sizes. R3 for small rooms and surround, R5 as front or centre. Which size belongs where follows from the room — that is what we propose to you.
  2. Rondo The visible loudspeaker, round in form, also in anodised aluminium in the Messington finish. A wall object you are allowed to look at — where no recessed installation is possible.
  3. Aalto The active collection, from the compact unit to the floorstanding speaker. Active means power at the point of installation instead of a cable to the rack. For D3 and D4 free-standing, the floor stand belongs in the order; it is not included.

In the technical room

  1. Core Plus Server and head of the system, two audio zones on board. It sits in the rack. How many zones are added we settle when the technical room plan is drawn up — rack units, power and waste heat are planned in at the same time.
  2. Core Mini The same control system, more compact. For when the control system is needed but the music distribution stays modest.
  3. Asano power amplifiers The central multi-channel amplifiers for distribution around the house. Basalte does not publish channel counts, power ratings or rack units. We obtain the sizing from the manufacturer for each project and lay out rack, ventilation and protection accordingly.
  4. AV modules Inputs and outputs for third-party sources and loudspeakers. A record player, a television or an existing system stays — it is integrated, not replaced.
A bright living room by the sea with free-standing Aalto loudspeakers
Aalto, free-standing in the room — power where it stands instead of a cable to the rack.
A person walking past a Via orientation light set in the wall
05 / 05 · At night

What guides you
at night.

Fixed with the cable installation

On a staircase one per cent of light is enough to go down safely without waking the house. That takes two things: a luminaire that can be dimmed, and a detector that knows the route.

Via — the orientation light sits in the same single back box as a switch, with an LED in warm white 2700 or neutral 4000 kelvin. Only the 24-volt version dims, over constant-voltage PWM, with a power supply and a matching dimmer in the distribution board. We therefore specify 24 volts even where a fixed brightness is all that is wanted at first — the option is then ready when you need it. Twelve finishes, the same ones as the switches beside it.

  1. Auro The flush-mounted detector: 52 millimetres in the ceiling, or 80 × 80 on the wall, with white feedback and a night light. Its position follows the route through the room, not the symmetry of the ceiling — we set it facing the door, coordinated with luminaires and outlets. Brightness-dependent switching is available under KNX.

Placed to the symmetry of the ceiling. The cone covers the door last.

⌀ 52

Facing the door, coordinated with luminaires and outlets. Same opening, different place — the light is there as you step in.

Schematic sketch by smartfabrik, not a working drawing.
Oak staircase, the wall version of the Auro sitting flush in the white wall

Where no ceiling is available, Auro comes as a wall version in the familiar 80 × 80 format — the same back box as the push-button beside it, the same finish.

Room by room

What we specify for which room.

  1. HallwayA switch beside the door, not behind the door leaf. Lena as the indoor station of the door intercom. Auro in the ceiling, looking towards the entrance.
  2. Living roomThree lighting circuits, shading and music fill a four-fold Sentido. Deseo for the climate, Cielo or Plano for the sound, Miro for the armchair. With people seated, a detector has to register presence rather than movement — which is why we plan presence detection here, or none at all.
  3. KitchenSwitches at working height, presence detection in the ceiling, climate and one audio zone. The ceiling openings for Cielo and Auro are on the same drawing as luminaires and ventilation.
  4. BathroomA switch rather than a display, the back box outside the bathroom zones. Presence detection with a long run-on time, the measuring point not beside the shower, music through a ceiling loudspeaker.
  5. SleepingChopin where a tangible click is wanted. Deseo RTR is enough for the temperature, Via leads to the door at night.
  6. Stairs and hallwayVia in the stair string, at 24 volts and therefore dimmable. Auro facing the bottom step rather than the middle of the room.
  7. Technical roomThis is where the rack stands: Core server, Asano power amplifiers, one free PoE port per display. On the wall a standard product in a Basalte frame — the more matter-of-fact choice here.

Product selection

Twelve finishes. Three collections. One house.

You choose the finish last — at your leisure.

Switches, displays, sockets and frames share the same palette; that is why the look stays calm at every door. We carry one collection through the whole house. Together with you and your architect we decide which one suits the door handles, the taps and the kitchen fronts.

brushed black
volcanic grey
brushed aluminium
satin white
bronze
brushed nickel
brushed brass
rosé
fer forgé gunmetal
fer forgé grey
fer forgé bronze
fer forgé rosé

Colour reproduction on screen is not binding. Product selection happens against the real wall build-up and in the light the device will later sit in — which is why the appointment is on site. There are no special colours outside this palette, and not every finish exists for every product. Flush installation is intended for Sentido, Fibonacci, Deseo, Via, the Auro wall mount, sockets and frames; Chopin and Enzo are surface-mounted.

Come and see it.
All twenty-five.

In the Basalte showroom in Düsseldorf the finishes lie on the table and the devices sit in the wall. We come along and go through your floor plan room by room.

Request a private showroom tour Or call directly: +49 211 838 66 870
All twenty-five Basalte devices with dimensions, back box and connection
Dimensions, back boxes and connection per manufacturer data
DeviceDimensionsBack boxConnectionWe specify
On the wall — single-gang back box
Basalte Sentido80 × 80 × 8 mm1-gang flush box (EU)KNX · Crestron · LutronElectrical design
Basalte Fibonacci120 × 80 × 9 mm1-gang back box (EU or US)KNX · Crestron · LutronElectrical design, engraving before ordering
Basalte Chopin80 × 80 × 8 mm1- or 2-gang back box (EU)KNXElectrical design
Basalte Matissenot published by the manufacturerwired or wirelessKNXElectrical design, in existing buildings also later
Basalte Enzonot published by the manufacturer1-gang flush boxKNXElectrical design, mounting type with the finish
Displays — network instead of bus
Basalte Lisa80 × 80 × 10 mm1-gang flush box (EU)IPbefore plastering
Basalte Ellie155 × 80 × 9 mmown installation detailIPbefore plastering
Basalte Lena165.2 × 256.4 × 12.2 mmown installation detailPoE to 802.3afbefore plastering
Basalte Eve, Eve Curve and Eve Plusdepending on the iPad generationWall or horizontal surfaceCharging portbefore plastering, verify the model
Basalte Miro240 × 41 × 15 mm—IPat any time
Indoor climate — 1-gang back box
Basalte Deseo80 × 80 × 8 mm1-gang flush box, 32 mm deepKNX · Crestronbefore chasing
Basalte Deseo RTR80 × 80 × 8 mm1-gang flush boxKNX · Crestronbefore chasing
Ceiling — 52 mm opening
Basalte Auro⌀ 52 mm ceiling · 80 × 80 × 8 mm wallCeiling cut-out or 1-gang back boxKNX · Crestron · LutronReflected ceiling plan, before the pour
Door and access — wall or pedestal
Basalte Adelantenot published by the manufacturerWall recess or pedestalIPExternal works and groundworks
Technical room — no back box
Basalte Core Plusnot published by the manufacturerRackIP · two audio zonesbefore the screed
Basalte Core Mininot published by the manufacturerRackIPbefore the screed
Basalte Asano power amplifiersnot published by the manufacturerRackChannel count and power not publishedbefore the screed, sizing project by project
Basalte AV modulesnot published by the manufacturerRackanalogue inputs and outputsbefore the screed
Loudspeakers — ceiling, wall, room
Basalte Cielonot published by the manufacturerCeiling recessed, trimlesspassivebefore the screed
Basalte Plano R3 and R5not published by the manufacturerIn-wallpassivebefore the screed
Basalte Rondonot published by the manufacturerWall-mounted, visiblepassivebefore the screed, in existing buildings also later
Basalte Aaltonot published by the manufacturerfree-standing, stand ordered separatelyactive · 200, 400, 800 Wany time, power where it stands
Light and power — the same grid
Basalte Via80 × 80 × 8 mm1-gang flush box (EU)24 V or 230 V · only 24 V dimmableCable installation
Basalte sockets80 × 80 mm grid1-, 2-, 3-gangType E and F plugs · USB · RJ45Electrical design
Basalte cover framesone- to five-gangfor 55 mm inserts, CH 60 mmGira · Jung · Schneider-Merten · ABB · Feller · BKSProduct selection
Sentido
Two-gang and four-gang are structurally identical — the number of touch fields is a decision about function, not about shell construction. We document the key assignment in the design, so that it sits in the same place in every room and can be looked up.
Fibonacci
The labelling is produced in the factory. We go through the function assignment with the client before anything is ordered; the labelling inserts stay exchangeable. On combining several Fibonacci units in one frame the manufacturer publishes nothing.
Chopin
The alternative where a tangible click is wanted — in the bedroom, say, or for older residents. Not intended for the flush-mounting kit.
Matisse
The wireless version puts a control point exactly where no cable runs — in existing buildings often the most elegant solution.
Enzo
Surface-mounted rather than flush; the flush-mounting kit is not intended for it. The mounting method therefore belongs with the wall finish.
Lisa
The only display that fits the 80 × 80 grid of the switches. A control point can later be changed from switch to display without opening the wall.
Ellie
Its own format, its own installation detail — which we draw together with the wall build-up.
Lena
Takes on the indoor station of the video entry as well — saves a second control point beside the front door, but calls for network instead of bus at that position.
Eve, Eve Curve, Eve Plus
We check the iPad model against the manufacturer's current model list — the mounts are tied to specific iPad generations, and Apple changes the dimensions more often than a house gets built.
Miro
For rooms where the light is set from the armchair rather than at the wall — home cinema, living room, bedroom.
Deseo
We choose the measuring point room by room: internal wall, no direct sun, no radiator and no cupboard beside it, plus a sealed conduit to the back box. Then the device shows the temperature you are actually sitting in.
Deseo RTR
The leaner choice for rooms where only the temperature is adjusted — guest room, dressing room, utility room.
Core Plus
Two zones are on board; every further one runs through Asano power amplifiers. Rack units, connected load and waste heat we plan together with the technical room.
Core Mini
For projects that need the control system but where audio distribution stays manageable.
Asano power amplifiers
We obtain the sizing data from the manufacturer for each project and lay out rack, ventilation and protection accordingly.
AV modules
It means an existing record player, television or system can be integrated rather than replaced.
Cielo
Recess depth, insulation and ceiling build-up we agree with the drylining trade before the openings go on the ceiling drawing.
Plano R3 and R5
Which size belongs where follows from the room: R3 for small rooms and surround, R5 as front or centre. That is what we propose.
Rondo
Where recessing is not possible — in existing buildings, on exposed concrete or in a listed building.
Aalto
Active means: power where the loudspeaker stands instead of loudspeaker cable to the rack. For D3 and D4 standing free, the floor stand has to be ordered separately; it is not included.
Adelante
The choice between wall and pedestal is made with the external works, not with the electrical design — foundation, conduit and supply cable to the pedestal belong in the groundworks. The Lena can serve as the indoor station, which saves an additional device.
Auro
We draw the 52 mm opening into the reflected ceiling plan, coordinated with luminaires, ventilation outlets and sprinklers, and align it with the route through the room rather than with the symmetry of the ceiling. Then the light is there as you enter.
Via
Only the 24 V version can be dimmed — on a staircase precisely the difference between orientation light and ceiling light. That is why we specify it even when only a fixed brightness is wanted at first.
Sockets
Where USB or network is wanted, we plan the supply cable with it; it differs from that of an ordinary socket.
Cover frames
This is the most pragmatic solution in the range: in the utility room, the cellar and technical rooms use a standard make, but in a Basalte frame — the wall stays calm without replacing every device.

Manufacturer data from Basalte, as at 08/2026. Where brochure and product page contradict each other, the reliable version stands here, or no figure at all.

You choose the finish in the showroom.
Everything before that we discuss with you and your architect.

Product and application photography: Basalte NV.

Technical data according to manufacturer documentation, as at 08/2026. Where sources contradict one another, the reliable version is given here, or no figure at all.

Schematic sketch and scale drawing: smartfabrik, not construction drawings.

To the private tour at the Basalte showroom in Düsseldorf →

Experience Basalte

Experience Basalte in person

Basalte has to be felt — the materials, the multitouch, the sound. Best done together, related to your project, and unhurried.

Your private Basalte tour

If you wish, we will visit the Basalte showroom in Düsseldorf with you and experience the complete ecosystem live — around 60–90 minutes, tailored entirely to your project. We bring our planning view with us: what works with what in your home.

Basalte showroom, Schadowplatz 18, 40212 Düsseldorf — a Basalte location we are glad to visit with you (not our own showroom).

Enquiry

Request a private showroom tour

Without obligation & free of charge. This is what happens next:

  • A personal call backOur advisory team is in touch within one working day and confirms the appointment you would like.
  • Your private tourApprox. 60–90 min, tailored to your project — Basalte experienced live.
  • Concept & next stepsWe show how Basalte works together in your home.

↳ Call back within one working day · Team smartfabrik

Thank you

Your enquiry has reached us. Our advisory team will get back to you personally within one working day to confirm the date you want and tailor the tour to your project. Prefer to talk directly? +49 211 838 66 870.

FAQ

Frequent questions about Basalte

What does a Basalte smart home cost?

Basalte is a premium system — the investment depends on the size of the property, the depth of the specification and the trades involved. A price list for switches makes no sense; an overall design does. We cost your project transparently against the concept and tell you what each level of specification means.

Basalte, Gira or JUNG — what suits my project?

Gira and JUNG are excellent, widely available KNX brands. In design, materials and closed ecosystem — one app, Core server, multiroom — Basalte plays in the ultra-premium league. We are manufacturer-independent and choose what suits the project and the budget; as a Basalte Gold Partner we plan the whole range; installation is through our sister company elektrofabrik.

Can Basalte be retrofitted in an existing building?

Yes, with planning. In a new build the integration is at its most elegant; in an existing building we check cable routes and KNX retrofitting, including over KNX RF. The wireless Matisse puts a control point exactly where no cable runs, and Rondo hangs where no recessed installation is possible. We settle that in the first consultation.

Does the bathroom get a switch or a display?

In a bathroom you plan the switch, not the display. Sentido and Chopin sit in the single-gang back box and cope with the environment; a display needs a network cable and a place where it does not mist up constantly. Where music is wanted, it comes through a ceiling loudspeaker and is operated from the switch — we fix that zone together with the screed date.

Where does the presence detector belong in the ceiling?

Facing the door, not the middle of the room. A detector set centrally sees the person entering last, because it picks up their movement head-on rather than across its field. The 52 mm ceiling opening therefore belongs in the same reflected ceiling plan as luminaires, ventilation outlets and sprinklers. We draw it in there while the ceiling plan is being made.

Orientation lighting at 24 V or 230 V?

The question decides whether dimming will be possible later. Only the 24 V version can be dimmed, and for that it needs a power supply and a constant-voltage dimmer in the distribution board, plus the right cable running into the stair stringer and the hallway wall. With 230 V the brightness stays fixed. We therefore plan for 24 V even where dimming is not wanted at first — the option is then ready when you need it.

Which back box does a Basalte switch need?

Sentido, Chopin, Deseo and Via sit in a 1-gang back box, with external dimensions of 80 × 80 × 8 mm. Even the four-gang version of the Sentido needs no multi-gang combination — four control points fit into one back box. Fibonacci measures 120 × 80 × 9 mm and likewise needs only a 1-gang back box.

Are the Basalte displays on the KNX bus?

They run over IP rather than KNX: Lena, for instance, by PoE to 802.3af. Every panel position therefore needs a network cable, and the technical room a free PoE port. That is precisely why our network design sits in the same drawing as the electrical design.

Can Basalte dim?

Basalte supplies the interface, the logic and the server; switching and dimming run through KNX actuators or a KNX-DALI gateway from another manufacturer. We plan that together: DALI groups, addresses and scenes are set up so that they match the button assignment.

How many audio zones can the system manage?

The Core Plus comes with two analogue audio zones. Anything beyond that calls for additional Asano power amplifiers in the technical room — with the corresponding space in the rack, power and waste heat. Basalte publishes no data on the amplifiers' channel counts and power ratings; we obtain them for each project.

Does the key labelling have to be fixed beforehand?

For the Fibonacci, yes — the labelling is laser-engraved and part of manufacture. For the Sentido the engraving is optional; without it the device only works with one consistent logic: same position, same function in every room. We fix that assignment before ordering.

Can I combine Basalte with switches from other manufacturers?

Yes, and in technical rooms we even recommend it. Basalte offers cover frames for 55 mm inserts from Schneider-Merten, Gira and Jung, and in the Swiss version for 60 mm inserts from ABB, Feller and BKS. That way the utility room keeps a standard make while the wall still reads calmly.

Your Basalte project

Your Basalte smart home in Cologne, Düsseldorf & North Rhine-Westphalia

Let's talk about your project. We come from the planning side, so our contribution fits into any phase — from the first design to refurbishment in an occupied house.

Request a private showroom tour+49 211 838 66 870

smartfabrik · Smart home & KNX design · Cologne · Düsseldorf · NRW · info@smartfabrik.de

Basalte is one layer among several. How we bring it together with lighting design, lighting scenes and shading is set out on the respective service pages — who we work with on it, on our partners page. Prefer to talk directly? Here is the way to contact us.