Outdoor Security Lights Approach

We're about to start construction on a new house, so we have the opportunity to "customize" the hard wiring. I'm looking for recommendations about outdoor security lights - floodlights that really light up the yard, not the normal porch lights. In our previous house, these were originally controlled by switches near the closest door. I installed motion detector/photocell floodlights with Insteon "In-LineLinc Relay with Sensor" modules in the boxes. This allowed the lights to operate as standard motion-activated lights, but also allowed me to turn them on remotely. A downside was that the manual switches were still in the circuit, and whenever they were inadvertently turned off, the lights quit working.

It looks like SmartHome no longer makes the "InLine-Linc Relay with Sensor" module, but they do make a "Micro On/Off Switch Adapter" which I think would work the same way. I could use this approach, but I still don't like the manual swiches by the doors. I might consider putting all the manual switches in one place where they're not likely to be accidently touched, such as a corner of the garage. Or would it make more sense to eliminate the manual switches and run power directly to the light boxes?

Another alternative would be to use smart switches near the closest door, and separate motion detectors. I like that approach, but don't like being dependent on batteries for motion detection.

Any thoughts on these ideas? Are there other approaches I should consider? I'm not wed to Insteon, just familiar with it since it's all I had in our old house.

Thanks!

I would second that information -- smart-switched lights and separate motion sensor that triggers the light via Indigo or direct association, depending on your technology / hardware. Plus if Indigo is down (e.g. computer failure, upgrade in progress, etc.) then you still have manual control if you have a switch.

When you mentioned this approach you didn't like the battery power reliance, but you can hard wire in many motion detectors (often with DC, not AC, but building a new house you can either provide an outlet in the attic for these or, even better, run some low voltage wiring to a spot in the attic which distributes the low voltage.

If I was constructing a new house I would look to a system that did not rely on anything wireless.
I would go for KNX, Loxone, Crestron or a similar wired system. Indigo is excellent for upgrading existing, traditionally wired systems to „smart“ but a well planned wired system would be more flexible and reliable I believe.

Tim