VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

mcm · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 3:14 pm Post subject: Yet another studio build

We have been working on plans for a 2-level addition to our house - lower level and first floor. The lower level will include a new studio for me. Half of our property is on a steep slope, so we have significant constraints on size and placement of the addition (not to mention the dollar constraints). Since there are several "programs" for the lower level, including my studio and a space for kids to play music and for us to do karate and other fitness activities, we have been juggling designs and moving stuff around on paper for months, trying to maximise the amount of space that everybody gets, as well as to make sure there is natural light for all the uses and that the shapes of the spaces are not too weird. Below is what we're currently considering. The 39 sq ft space is the recording room (that measurement doesn't include the closet-y thingy in the corner, and the 147 sq ft space is my office. Wondered if any of you smart people have thoughts about this space, and if there is anything obviously unworkable about it? Choice of materials is yet to be made (we have miles to go before we sleep).

rejoicing in advance...

todd ellis · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 4:14 pm Post subject:

i love the angles! very cool space!
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Deirdre · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:18 pm Post subject:

I bet it will sound fabulous— it is so not square.

Like you guys at Fort Fath!
NOT SQUARE.
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asnively · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:34 pm Post subject:

Diamonds are a girl's best friend!
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brianforrester · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 8:28 pm Post subject:

Looks really cool and I'd like to have it for myself, but I have one question... what are the plans for the 338 square foot area?

Depending on the anticipated noise coming from that room, you might consider moving the office door to the right side of the space istead of the left, closer to the exterior door? Regardless of what you do in terms of doors, double etc... you're likely to get some noise leak and by moving the door, you'll reduce the amount that will potentiall make its way into the booth.

Just a minor concern, but if it were me, that's what I'd do.

Happy planning and be sure to keep us up to date.

Cheers,
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mcm · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:35 pm Post subject:

This gives me some confidence in our plans Smile

Brian, the activities in the large space will definitely be noise-o-genic. I thought about your suggestion. What I like about the door placement is that it makes my commute very easy - down the stairs and head right into the studio (I can't remember what wonderful vo-bb-er it was who said his commute was a breeze unless there was a 3-cat pile-up on the stairs). There will undoubtedly be times when the activities in that space will conflict with those in mine, but that won't be often enough to make me want to move the door. Especially after the kids go off to college in a few years (which I don't even want to think about).

Fort Fath! LOL! Me like.

Mike Sommer · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:02 pm Post subject:

Diamonds are not always good.

Post the dimensions of the spaces, including ceiling height?

Note the door and window locations and dimensions and where do the doors lead?

What is the exterior wall construction: wood frame, pour in place concrete, block?

Locate the services: Heating, Water, Electrical, along with anything that makes noise.
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mcm · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:21 pm Post subject:

The outside walls will be poured cement, 8-10" thick, as well as the wall between the booth and the office. Not sure about that inside wall between the office and the large space. The ceiling is going to be 10' high except in the booth which will be probably 7'. There will be no plumbing anywhere near the booth. Radiant floor heat, but not sure about cooling. That's about all I can tell you at this point. The design below is our AutoCad predesign, and when we have it more or less the way we want it, it will go to our design guy for details so that the builder knows what to do with it.

The doors on the far wall are outside doors, that face our back slope/woods. At the bottom of the stairs is the door into the office, and to the left, the door into the studio.

Mike Sommer · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 11:13 pm Post subject:

If this is all the space you've got to work with for the booth, let me point out the problems as they exists now.

You're going to have a big bass problem in the corner of where the 7'-5 and the 9'-3 wall meet. This deep corner is moving the bass closer to the center of the room. And by the time you get done putting bass traps in the corners and treatment on the walls, you're going to end up with a pretty small booth.

I would lose the window on the booth wall and put the door there, because you're going to need a bass trap in the corner where the door is now.

With the concrete walls you will get about 50 -55 STC of isolation. If you add 5/8" drywall, hung on RC-1 resilient channel, you can get those walls up to 60-65 STC.

The better option is to make your now "booth area" a machine/storage area, then make your office your booth/productio area. You'll get a much better sounding room with about as much work.

You can build the partition wall of the office, out of concrete block. Then skin it with drywall on both sides with RC-1 Resilient channel; you'll get a wall with an STC of 65-70. Or a Two-Leaf/Double wood or stele frame wall, with a STC of about 55- 60. You'll just need to make sure that with whatever construction you go with, the joist area at the ceiling needs to be air tight.

You'll also need to step up the windows and ext door, along with a double door system on the partition wall. But this should not be a problem considering this is all new construction, and in terms of overall budget it will be a blip on the screen.
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mcm · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:33 am Post subject:

Mike, thank-you very much for taking the time to look at our plans - I always value your insights tremendously.

The advantage to keeping the recording space separate in this project is that there is living space above the office area. The booth bump-out has nothing above it. Also, it can be any shape we want, pretty much, so it could be designed not to have any pointy spaces, and it could be bigger.

Pam · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:55 am Post subject:

I have no idea how this will affect the sound but the area needed for a door to open is about 9 square feet. You might want to consider a pocket door on a wall that doesn't need sound treatment. You can regain that space for some other purpose.
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Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:01 am Post subject:

If that's the case, let's build it a little bigger, and not so out of square --if you can. I think I can come up with something for you, PM me and I'll see what I can do.

EDIT: @ Pam - You can't seal a pocket door. The best you can do is have the door open out. But, if one needs a double door, then you better make sure the booth is big enough.
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Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.

mcm · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 10:36 am Post subject:

Thanks Mike!

Let me do some more homework....

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:09 am Post subject:

Mary, are you checking airfares? Mike might like to visit western Mass Smile

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Mike Sommer · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:12 pm Post subject:

One more point (while I'm thinking about it). Mitigating foot fall or noise from the living space above your office area would not be a problem especially if this is new construction. Mass can be added to the flooring in the form of gypsum product, along with an isolation product like SR Flooring sub material between the sub and finish flooring. And or a suspending the ceiling with an isolation hanger -which would work very well in your concrete bunker. Wink

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Acoustics are counter-intuitive. If one thing is certain about acoustics, it is that if anything seems obvious it is probably wrong.