The Villa Cobre Case Study: From Legacy Automation to AI Intelligence
How a 600sqm Mediterranean villa replaced a decade-old Crestron system with Foxworth — and what the first 90 days looked like.
Villa Cobre is a 600-square-meter property overlooking the coast. Built in 2014, it came with what was considered a state-of-the-art automation system at the time: Crestron processors controlling lighting (114 circuits), motorized blinds (28 channels), a multi-zone HVAC system, whole-house audio, and a traditional CCTV setup with 13 cameras recording to a local NVR.
By 2025, the system had become the property’s biggest frustration.
The problem
The Crestron system worked — technically. Lights turned on. Blinds moved. But every change required a programmer. The owner wanted to adjust the evening lighting scene for summer: €800 and a two-week wait for the programmer’s next availability.
The CCTV system recorded everything but understood nothing. 13 cameras generating 2TB of footage per week. When a motion alert fired at 3 AM, someone had to manually review footage to determine if it was a cat or a person. The answer was almost always: cat.
The alarm system (NOX) was completely disconnected from the automation. A breach triggered a call to the monitoring center. The monitoring center called the property. The property manager checked the cameras. Total response time: 12-20 minutes.
The migration
Foxworth was installed over three days in February 2026. Here’s what happened:
Day 1: Hardware
- NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin installed in the server room
- All 13 existing cameras (Dahua) connected via ONVIF
- Crestron processor connected via CIP protocol
- NOX alarm panel integrated via serial bridge
- Airzone HVAC gateway connected
- BluOS audio endpoints discovered
Day 2: AI Training
- Facial enrollment for the family (4 people), staff (6 people), and regular visitors (12 people)
- Property mapping — the AI learned the physical layout, camera coverage zones, and normal traffic patterns
- Automation baseline — the system observed existing patterns for 24 hours
Day 3: Activation
- AI automation rules activated
- Noctua drone dock installed on the roof terrace
- Full system testing with simulated scenarios
- Staff training (45 minutes)
The old Crestron system wasn’t removed. It still controls the physical hardware. Foxworth replaced the intelligence layer — the software that decides what happens when.
The first 30 days
The AI learned fast. Within a week, it had mapped the household’s daily patterns:
- The owner arrives home between 18:30 and 19:15 on weekdays
- The housekeeper arrives at 08:00 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
- The pool maintenance person comes Thursday mornings
- The property is unoccupied most weekends in winter
By day 14, the automation was running without manual input:
- Lights adjusted based on who was home and what they were doing
- Climate zones activated only in occupied rooms
- The alarm adjusted its sensitivity based on who was present
- Music preferences followed individuals room to room
The numbers (90 days)
| Metric | Before (Crestron) | After (Foxworth) |
|---|---|---|
| False alarms per month | 23 | 1 |
| Security response time | 12-20 min | < 15 sec |
| Automation changes | €500/change + 2-week wait | Automatic |
| Energy savings | Baseline | 31% reduction |
| Camera intelligence | Record-only | Real-time AI detection |
| Drone deployments | N/A | 4 (2 real threats, 2 tests) |
| Staff hours on security | ~10/week | ~1/week |
The 3 AM incident
Six weeks after installation, the system proved itself. At 3:12 AM on a Sunday (property unoccupied), a person was detected scaling the eastern boundary wall. The AI classified them immediately: unknown person, nighttime, boundary breach, no face match.
Noctua launched. Arrived at the breach point in 11 seconds. The 5,000-lumen spotlight activated. The 125dB siren engaged. The voice warning played in Spanish and English.
The intruder fled within 8 seconds of Talon activation. High-resolution facial capture, thermal imaging, and footage of a vehicle on the adjacent road were automatically preserved and sent to the security company. The owner received a push notification with video.
Total elapsed time from detection to intruder departure: 23 seconds. Humans involved: zero.
The local police received an automated report with evidence-grade footage. The intruder has not returned.
What the owner says
“I spent €120,000 on the Crestron system. It did what I told it to do. Foxworth does what I need it to do before I know I need it. That’s the difference.”
Interested in a similar transformation? Request a consultation.