This Spring Break, Amplified and some of their collaborators made a pilgrimage to Scottsdale and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. Lutron invited them to see their innovative installation of Ketra’s lighting system. Wright, a pivotal 20th-century architect, built Taliesin West as his winter camp in 1937. The Desert Studio educated students through apprenticeship and hands-on learning. Located in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, Wright blended organic architecture seamlessly with the topography, utilizing desert masonry and geometric forms, giving the structures a prehistoric grandeur. Negative space, natural light, and a reflecting pool further pierce the veil between the interior and exterior worlds. 

Lutron was honored to work on the UNESCO World Heritage site and National Historic landmark. They faced the challenge of replicating “lantern-lit” light, Wright’s vision, which he achieved through natural light, firelight, and low-wattage incandescents that echoed the spectrum of the desert landscape. Ketra was the perfect solution to deliver a consistent quality of color-matched light. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation also required that the installation not damage or alter the existing buildings or wiring infrastructure; they could not drill into the stone walls and the fragile vintage light fixtures needed special handling.  

Ketra’s wireless technology preserved Wright’s masterpiece for future generations to learn from while improving the visitor experience. The system provides high-quality light that is flexible and adjustable, allowing for bespoke settings that gradually shift in color, temperature, and intensity to mimic the sun, making interiors feel seamlessly bathed in natural light. As Wright envisioned, Taliesin West’s organic architecture sits easily on the land, and Ketra illuminates its nuances. The Amplified team and their guests enjoyed seeing Lutron’s restoration of the World Heritage site firsthand and the replication of Wright’s “lantern-lit” light.  

Amplified Lifestyles’ smart home projects range from historic mansions in Pacific Heights to a tropical oasis in the British Virgin Islands. The results can appear magical because these systems integrate elegantly into the design. If you peek behind the curtain, a team of outstanding Amplified technicians installs and maintains the systems while providing technical support. One of the team members is Senior Production Field Specialist Jorge Flores Jr. Jorge learned his craft from his father, Jorge Sr., who also works for Amplified. With the recent birth of his son Jorgie III, there may be a third generation.

AL: What drew you into the world of home technology?

JF, Jr: I followed in my father’s footsteps right out of high school. During my summer breaks in high school, I would go to work with him, and I fell in love with the tech industry. My father is also a part of the Amplified Lifestyle family. He has helped develop a strong work ethic that I follow today, from pulling wires to installing TVs to building racks. He was/is my role model. 

AL: What’s your favorite aspect about being a part of the Amplified Lifestyles team?

JF, Jr: The effort and time that Amplified takes to ensure their employees feel welcomed, heard, and understood. I believe it plays a massive role in providing great results. It feels as if I have an extension of my family. It’s a pleasure to be a part of what makes this company so successful.

AL: Who is your ideal client?

JF, Jr: My ideal client is a person or family open to creativity,  knows what they want, and has a vision of the result. 

AL: Favorite app?

JF, Jr:  It’s hard to just choose one. I have two. Savant and Crestron are my two favorite apps. Savant is great because you can go from project to project, and the app layout and functionality will never change, which is something I love. But I like Crestron because it is fully customizable, from the layout of the main page to the button layout to the background color. It would be a one-of-a-kind build, which I also like.

AL: What have been some of your most challenging projects you have worked on? 

JF, Jr:  Some of the most challenging projects I have worked on have been projects that we tackle remotely, from projects in Malibu to projects in Lake Tahoe. Working in a remote environment away from the resources of a warehouse or the capacity to have extra help on the fly has been the most difficult. However, the jobs themselves have been some of Amplified’s biggest ones. 

AL: What’s something you’re proud of?

JF, Jr: I am proud of the family I have built. I have come very far in this industry. Being able to provide mentorship and being a person of contact for guidance is a gratifying part of my life in which I take pride.

AL: Who are the special people in your life?

JF, Jr:  My wife, Karina, and my baby boy, Jorgie III, my wife is my most significant support and greatest cheerleader. She’s my lifeline; my job is not easy, and she keeps me grounded. 

AL: When you are not installing systems, what do you enjoy doing? 

JF, Jr:  When I’m not working, I’m out on the lake fishing or in the duck blind doing what I love. 

AL: What is your favorite place in the world?

JF, Jr: Anywhere I get to be with my family. We love being outdoors. You will usually find us fishing in a lake or ocean.

AL: If you were not in home technology, what would you do?

JF, Jr:  My childhood dream was to become a Marine Biologist. I love nature, I love the water, and I like being outdoors.

Amplified Lifestyles’ principal, Timothy Johnson has 50 years of electronics experience, which he utilizes incorporating high-end A/V systems into the aesthetics of private estates. As an award-winning chief engineer, he mentors the next generation of home electronics specialists with his vast knowledge of audio, video, controls, integration, networking, communications, life safety, security, surveillance, lighting, and climate control. Due to his extensive experience, Timothy is a practical audiophile, he enjoys revisiting Genesis’ eccentric classic Selling England By The Pound when not delivering the highest quality service to Amplified’s clientele.

AL: Where did you grow up?

TJ: I was born and raised in Fresno, where I stayed until I was 20, moving to Sacramento and eventually the Bay Area. 

AL: What drew you into the world of home technology design? 

TJ: When I was a Junior in high school, I fixed stereo gear at a local stereo shop. In the late ’70s & early ’80s, I worked for Sacramento-based ESS Speakers, where I met Oskar Heil, the German-born scientist and electrical engineer who invented the Air Motion Transformer. Moving to Northern California, I worked with contractors on professional and commercial sound, signal, and control installations, learning skills I applied to the new field of residential integration projects.

AL: How did your involvement with Amplified Lifestyles happen?

TJ: I worked for a pioneering integrator for almost 17 years as Chief Engineer and Senior System Designer. Kevin Cook was the Director of Client Services, and Casey Webster was the Service Manager. We formed Amplified Lifestyles in 2015 with two other partners. We and our team share a dedication to the client experience, giving them what they want, ensuring it works, and leaving them smiling.  

AL: What was one of your favorite projects to work on? 

TJ:   A 550-acre Sonoma vineyard lake estate for a wonderful family whom Amplified has worked with on multiple residential and commercial projects. We collaborated with interior designer Ken Fulk, Ken Linsteadt Architects, and Van Acker Construction. Because a Victorian hotel inspired the architectural style, we hid all the Great Room’s technology. The antiqued mirror behind the bar slides away to reveal a TV. When there are dance parties, four Claypacky moving headlights lower from the ceiling, and the hidden line-array speakers and subwoofers take the music up to discotheque levels. Outside the home, we designed a long-throw audio system for the lake that magically projects a concert across the water. 

AL: What was one of your least projects to work on? 

TJ: I have been fortunate in my career that 98% of my clients have been excellent to work for, and I forget the 2% who weren’t. 

AL: How do you collaborate on a project with a GC, architect, and interior designer?

TJ: I prefer to get in early and be included in the construction drawings so that the electronics blend seamlessly into the home’s interior or landscape design.  

AL:  What is your most treasured memory?

TJ: Designing Loudspeakers at ESS in the late 70’s & early 80’s.

AL: What would it be if you could learn one skill instantly?

TJ: Sing and play piano & guitar.

AL: What album can you listen to repeatedly without getting sick of it?

TJ:  Genesis – Selling England by the Pound.

AL:  Do you have a favorite affirmation or quote?

TJ: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Amplified Lifestyles Principal and General Manager, Jeremy McKenzie started his career in 1995. As with many of his colleagues, he approaches custom residential integration as a craft. Jeremy has engineered, installed, programmed, and directed a comprehensive selection of platforms through the years. He takes pride in the process, not just the outcome, and values client and team relationships. When not working, he explores the vast Western landscape on his motorcycle or enjoys live music venues with his family. 

AL: Do you have a favorite affirmation or quote?

JM: Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. 

AL:  What motivated you to become a partner in Amplified Lifestyles?

JM: From the beginning, the group’s guiding principles and goals aligned with my own. With 20 years of experience in the industry at the time, I had a lot to offer to the team in my role, and I was ready to commit to having Amplified become a part of my personal identity and daily life. I wanted to bring my total effort and attention to help build a great environment to work in and a better option in the market. 

AL: What have been the challenges and opportunities that you have found as a partner at Amplified Lifestyles?  

JM: The greatest challenge has been growing the company while working to maintain what makes Amplified special: how we conduct ourselves and support each other and our project partners. The most significant opportunity this has afforded me is the ability to work day-to-day with such dedicated and incredible people. To see people learn and grow in this industry and enjoy what they do. It is a tremendous blessing.

AL: What would be your dream project?

JM: For Amplified, the ultimate reward comes in a job well done. Regardless of the size and scope of work, the dream job is any project we complete with a satisfied client, a happy build team, and ongoing relationships with both. Many of us got into this industry because of the awe you see on a person’s face when they experience their first great Home Theater; it all grows from there.

AL: If you were not in home technology design, what would you do?

JM: I would have ended up somewhere in mechanical engineering, likely in the automotive or motorcycle industry. I am fascinated by complex mechanical devices, emphasizing internal combustion engines (which appear to be on their way out!). I often relax on the sofa with a technical manual.

AL: Song you can listen to on repeat?

JM: Right Where It Belongs by Nine Inch Nails. Moving but not too heavy.

AL: If you made a documentary, what would it be about? 

JM: Something so compelling to me is the nature of how we as people express and feel love for each other. It is incredible how some people can be so giving and selfless, putting their needs, wants, and interests aside to care for someone they love in the face of great tragedy or perhaps due to sickness or injury of the other. A parent who dedicates their life to caring for their special-needs child, or a spouse who does the same for their partner, it is incredible to see people flourish in the face of such tremendous adversity, and at the core of it is the power of love.

AL: What are three things you can’t live without?

JM: My wife Jennifer, a motorcycle, and extra toasty Cheez-its!

AL: How do you recharge?

JM: Riding motorcycles is a spiritual experience for me. It is a part of who I am, and I will ride until I physically cannot. It offers a wide variety of soothing and intense experiences, from cruising along a deserted highway in the vastness of the Nevada desert to scraping the ground at the apex of a corner, pushing the physical limits of man and machine.

AL: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?

JM: Don’t worry so much about school and whether you leave it with a direction. Hard work, dedication, and moral character will take you wherever you need to go; doors will open when you are ready for the opportunity.