Small studio in back garden

Hi all - I recently came across this site and have been reading some of the material here which is very informative. I used to work as a live sound engineer in my early 20's about 13 years ago, but have done very little sound work since. I work in IT now and have decided to get into recording, and so build a little studio in my garden. I don't have much studio experience so will be learning about the whole recording side as well as the studio construction side. I initially intend to maybe record some bands that friends are in, with the possibility of doing it more seriously and getting some money if I get good enough and my facility is good enough. The following is my current situation and I'd be grateful for any advice given. I have a semi-detached house on a residential street on the northside of Dublin city (Ireland) which has a back garden approx 14 metres long by 9 metres wide. I'm hoping to build a small studio with a toilet/shower and living space, ie small living /chill out area with couch and tv. I have neighbours on each side and also at the end of the garden, so sound-proofing is very important. I envisage the music played being standard electric guitar/bass/drums/keys. I've enlisted a friend who's an architectural technician and he's going to do up some plans, however he doesn't have any experience in soundproofing so he's doing as much reading up as I am. My budget would ideally be 30k euro, but could probably push to 35k max if necessary. We're going to attempt to come up with a few different layouts and try to estimate what they might cost. So the (very) basic requirements are: - studio: live room, control room, and drum/isolation booth. - living space: lounge area, toilet with shower. (Toilet to be accessible from recording studio also) Our first option is to build across the bottom of the garden, so a rectangular structure 9 metres wide and 4 - 5 metres deep incorporating the control room, live room, and living space. Another layout would be an L shape with the studio across the bottom using the full width and the other part as the living space. For the first rectangular option across the bottom of the garden I've uploaded a 3D model of how it might look from the outside. I also uploaded a picture of the garden taken from the kitchen looking out, a picture of the back of the house from near the end of the garden, and a (very) basic sketch of how I see the layout of the studio (I intend to knock both sheds shown in the pictures). I've downloaded Sketchup but I'm pretty useless at drawing and need to spend more time at it, so apologies for the poor quality of the drawing. Also I should add that I'm looking for ideas on the layout as well - this layout may or may not be a good way to go so I'm very open to suggestions. Hopefully I've provided enough detail. Some questions: - Is a block build the best way to go, or would it be possible to soundproof a wooden/log cabin type building (which are cheaper to buy)? - What's the best construction method...will an outer block wall with inner stud wall type construction suffice, or will I need a double block construction with cavity? (A double block will use up quite a bit of space, and I don't have a lot to begin with). - If I go with block build should I avoid parallel walls ? - Are windows out of the question regarding soundproofing, or will it be possible to have some? (Don't like the thought of no natural light) Cheers, Ciaran.

Two things come to mind right off...sorry, three. Demolition and how to get debris out. How to get concrete, materials, etc. in. Where does electrical power come from? How does one get sewer and water connected? And, does turning the rectangular building 90 degrees help with keeping property accessible? Damn, that's five!

xSpace thanks for the reply. Demolition and how to get debris out. -> There's a side entrance that exits to a driveway at the right side of the house. If you look at the picture of the rear of the house the side-door is in the corner to the right of the window. How to get concrete, materials, etc. in. -> See above Where does electrical power come from? -> The shed has light already from the main house, so I 'm assuming I'll be able to get a feed from the house mains (?) How does one get sewer and water connected? -> Again I'm hoping to connect to the drainage/water mains from the house. And, does turning the rectangular building 90 degrees help with keeping property accessible? -> Do you mean building down along the side instead of across the bottom? I've thought about this also it could be a runner either, still open to suggestions on that. Cheers, Ciaran.

One more. When the ground is taken up by building...where does the rain/run-off have to go and how does it get there?

xSpace wrote:

One more. When the ground is taken up by building...where does the rain/run-off have to go and how does it get there?

Good question hadn't thought of that yet. Will probably run a pipe to an existing drain at the side of the main house.

Ok was hoping for a *little* bit more feedback than this. All suggestions still welcome regarding construction of walls and general layout. Because of cost I am now thinking of losing the living space and having just the studio (control room/live room/drum booth) with toilet.

Only thing I can see is a 4m X 4m live room, square. So you already know this or your doing something to rid yourself of it right?

xSpace wrote:

Only thing I can see is a 4m X 4m live room, square. So you already know this or your doing something to rid yourself of it right?

Well if I lose the living space I have the entire 9m x 4m space to use for control room/live room/drum booth, plus toilet. I'm still unsure about the construction method i.e. outer wall type, inner wall, floor, roof etc. I've done a lot of reading up and I've got completely lost in the detail...seems to be tons of different opinions and ways of doing it, and I have no clue which is right.

Hi Ciaran, first thing block would be better than wood, sound isolation of low frequencies requires mass. Second you need to go the room in room route to maximise isolation so basically build your shell from block and then stud walls inside with wood or metal studs and gypboard on one side only, you should also look to a design where the rooms have their own independant ceilings. You have to consider the roof and get as much mass here as reasonable. Stick to a M/S/M( mass/ spring(air+insulation) / mass ) system throughout to achieve the best isolation. You might also be better posting your designs in the design section of the forum, you might get more help there. Good luck

Ciaran If you've got some time, then this thread will inspire you :wink: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... sc&start=0 Suggest you also take not of the Regulation & Planning part. Not sure about where you are, but making connections into drains will almost certainly require approval from your local authority. cheers

Ok so I finally got a design from my architect friend which I've attached as a pdf. I'd appreciate any comments or feedback. I'm curious to see if the size of the live and control rooms are adequate or if they'll be a bit cramped...it's hard to know when it's just on paper. (Actually I'm not sure if this post should be in the design forum, can/should I move it?)

Hi Ciaran, my situation is pretty similar to yours, I want to "build" something in the back garden. Planned dimensions are similar too. I too would like to have an living space/lounge. I think its not luxury to have one, because recording a band, while some or most members are in the control room all the time, can be very annoying and time consuming. The latter can be an advantage if they pay time-based rates. :D I'm considering using precast garages, and if they work that's probably an option for you too. You can find my post here: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10974 I'm still evaluating this idea, maybe you and your architect can give some input on this. Thanks & Regards!

Hi Zeitgeist thanks for the reply. The precast garage sounds like a good idea, and should be do-able with the right construction of an inner shell. I'm not sure if there are any companies that import them into Ireland but I will look into it, or maybe some of your companies would deliver to Ireland. I had a look at the Zapf site but couldn't see any prices...do you know the typical cost of one of these? Cheers, Ciaran.

During my research I also found suppliers in the UK. Prices here in Germany start from about 200 EUR/m². There are various systems. Some come as a whole and are also poured as a whole. Some come in large parts and need to be assembled by the suppliers team. Some come as building blocks, which one can assemble by themselfs. I have insulation data for the latter, the manufacturer says 36dB. I called my acoustics consultant, he thinks the "building blocks"-system probably have better insulation data, than the other ones. Bye!