One South Florida Company is On a Mission to Create Healthy High-Tech Homes

One South Florida company is on a mission to create home environments that are as healthy as they are high-tech.

Jan Vitrofsky is a bona fide innovator. Most notably, he was the first to incorporate some of the most impressive wellness technology into homes on the East Coast. His company, HEDsouth, was founded 21 years ago as an evolution of his New York City-based HED (Home Entertainment Design) brand, which he launched in 1983. Vitrofsky was one of the first of 50 to become an accredited dealer of new home-health system DARWIN, which was debuted by wellness intelligence brand Delos at CES in 2019 to promote optimal well-being for inhabitants, including more energy and better sleep. Here, Vitrofsky gives all the details on the trending home tech and why homeowners should consider integrating it into their personal spaces for improved quality of life.

How has HEDsouth evolved since its launch? HEDsouth is now the oldest system integration company in South Florida with the best understanding of delivering white-glove service to people who care about the quality and integrity of who they do business with.

What is HEDsouth’s main goal? Our main goal when it comes to home wellness is to provide the best and healthiest quality of life and to do whatever is possible to prevent sickness.

When did you first hear about the DARWIN system, and how did you become one of the first accredited DARWIN dealers? I worked with Delos to help develop the DARWIN platform from the ground up. Moreover, I helped them develop the relationships with manufacturers in the electronics industry and assisted them in the formation of deployment of this through the system integration channel throughout the U.S. I became a consultant with Delos about three years ago.

What are the main features of the technology? The main features include air purification, water purification, circadian lighting and comfort features such as temperature and acoustics.

In your opinion, what is the most interesting feature? All of the features are cool in my opinion, but lighting is my favorite as I enjoy lighting design and the many creative ways you can suit this in a space.

What are the primary benefits of wellness systems such as DARWIN? Why is this something homeowners should consider for their homes? The benefits of integrating homes with wellness systems are that you are equipping homes with the best-quality air to breathe, the best-quality water to drink and bathe in, and the best-quality light to regulate your circadian rhythm, also known as the body clock. When the body clock is in sync, this helps your hormonal system produce the appropriate hormones to wake to so that you are properly energized during the day, and then [helps produce] melatonin at home, the hormone for sleep, so that you get the best quality of sleep, which is critical to good health.

Who is your typical residential customer? My clients span the full spectrum of people who understand and want a better quality of life while indoors. Everyone should have access to a clean, healthy home—so everyone is my client. They value optimal living and living longer with less sickness, both individuals and families.

Why is there a need for these types of home systems now more than ever? With... people shifting to remote work or work-from-home, it is critical to have the healthiest space to be in.

What are some challenges you face when installing wellness systems? How do you overcome them? There are solutions for all the pillars of wellness. In some more challenging cases, the refit of existing downlights that are very small in form factor present issues, but supplementing them with different light sources can overcome that problem.

Tell me a bit about your Tarpon Bend project in Fort Lauderdale. Why did the owner choose the DARWIN system? Tarpon Bend is the first stand-alone home on the East Coast with the full system deployed. I introduced Delos and DARWIN to this client, who is a tech-savvy person who fully understands the concept of the importance of wellness. The Tarpon Bend home, designed by Miami-based STRANG, features all of the elements offered.

What’s next for HEDsouth? How do you think home wellness technology will evolve? That’s a big question. I hope I can educate and deploy as many DARWIN systems as possible to better the quality of life for many people. The home wellness arena will continue to grow and expand with more manufacturers bringing new solutions to the market. As horrible as the situation is around the world with the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope it will wake people up to how important it is to have a clean, healthy home to live in every day, and that living this new way will only better us all.

Is there anything else we should know about HEDsouth? I have always been on the forefront of technology with HEDsouth in bringing what’s best in class to my clientele. I have been blessed to learn about this wellness platform ahead of everyone in my industry with being associated with the Delos team, so not only can I bring them simple-to-operate products, I can now better the quality of their lives from a health perspective. A home is not smart unless it is healthy!