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Our client for this project is a Silicon Valley technology executive and long-time home theater enthusiast. Over the years, he built and tuned his own systems, exploring layouts, acoustics, and calibration on his own terms. But when building his new home, he wanted a different approach for a dedicated media room. Instead of a system that evolved over time, he wanted one that was designed holistically—a room where performance, architecture, and everyday comfort all worked together from the start.
The room needed to serve two distinct identities.
By day, it should feel open, inviting, and connected to the rest of the home. By night, it should disappear into a deeply immersive cinematic environment. No “theater theme,” no blacked-out cave—just a warm, modern living space that happens to perform at a reference level.
To accomplish this, we collaborated closely with Guild Craft Builders and Archevon, the architect and interior designer of the home. The result is a media room that doesn’t immediately announce itself as a theater—but becomes one the moment the lights go down.
The room measures 20’8” × 16’8” × 10’10”, with a large window along the rear wall. This brought welcome natural light into the space during the day, but also required thoughtful planning to control reflections and maintain contrast during movie playback.
Rather than eliminate or darken the room to control light, we leaned into its dual-use nature. The large rear window was preserved as part of the room’s everyday character, and we specified a projection system capable of maintaining high contrast performance in both ambient and blackout conditions. The Sony VPL-VW5000ES laser projector paired with a Stewart Filmscreen Firehawk G5 (2.07:1 constant image area, acoustically transparent micro-perforated material) allows the room to function comfortably during the day while still delivering reference-quality cinematic images when the Lutron blackout shade is engaged.
Our work included the Core Home Theater Design Package, sound isolation design, and custom baffle wall design, along with equipment infrastructure planning, structured pre-wire, and rack build. We installed and integrated the projector, screen, speaker system, and subwoofer, programmed the RTI control system, and performed final audio and video calibration, including Dirac ART tuning.
Throughout the project, we coordinated closely with Guild Custom Builders and Archevon to ensure that performance infrastructure—loudspeakers, acoustic treatment, wiring pathways, and equipment ventilation—was built into the room during construction, rather than added later. This allowed the space to retain a warm, modern aesthetic while supporting a fully immersive Dolby Atmos experience when the system is in use.
The result is a media room that works as part of the home during the day, and as a cinema when the lights go down—without compromising either identity.
The most satisfying part of this project is that the room does not look like a theater. Its atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The seating—a custom 5-seat Fortress reclining row—invites conversation as easily as it invites movie night. There is no visual signal that says “theater mode,” and that is exactly the point.
Yet when the lights fade and the blackout shade closes, the room transforms. Dialogue locks in at the center. Surrounds dissolve the boundaries of the room. The HYPERSUB anchors the sound without calling attention to itself. The image fills the screen with detail, depth, and ease.
It’s a room that supports everyday living—and also true cinematic escape.
A space that simply becomes what the moment calls for.
"I was very excited to be one of the first customers for the HYPERSUB Frontier system. I was looking for a system that could integrate seamlessly with Dirac Live ART and my Storm Audio processor, but I also wanted infrasonic frequency support in my room. With a sealed 15" driver in each corner, I have plenty of headroom and every single person who sits in my room is convinced there are bass shakers somewhere in my couch thanks to the room pressurization. While the sub system is top notch, it was Acoustic Frontiers' expert calibration and integration that truly took the experience to the next level. I can't recommend this system enough." ~V.S.
View extended project documentation and progress highlights on the Acoustic Frontiers Instagram.
For technical specifications and product details on HYPERSUB™ systems, visit www.hypersubwoofers.com
"No other subwoofer system I’ve owned even comes close to what this room delivers. Reaching out to Acoustic Frontiers was one of the best decisions I’ve made—I highly recommend working with them if you want to get the most out of your theater."
Nyal Mellor, Founder, Acoustic Frontiers
Nyal Mellor
Author