Absolute beginner

I would like to construct a soundproofed room in a garage-like building. It will be used as a rehearsal facility and and then developed into a studio at a later time. I would greatly appreciate any input to help achieve the best possible solution. Diagrams of the premises concerned are attached with a few basic sizes as well as various photographs. The car park lies at the back of the tenement, 1 level below the main road at the front. I already have a small studio set up in the adjoining cellar but have recently acquired the lease for the rear extension at the basement level, comprising two rooms and one larger workshop area. I think it could be ideal for a studio because it has extremely thick external walls and a concrete floor and ceiling. I’m new to this whole blogging thing so I’m looking for someone to mentor me a bit, at least until I get going.

I intend to brick up and glaze the shutter door and then build a rehersal room in the workshop between the entrance at the front, and step at the back. Below is a proposed layout. Feel free to suggest alternatives. I’m familiar with most of the techniques that could be used to construct the room but I have a few things to iron out before I finalise the design. As you can see from the pictures and diagrams the WC and storage area are on a step (around 500mm high) Great, I thought. I can avoid having to have a step, handrail etc and use a floating floor system to bring everywhere up to this level. Because naturally the further the live room floor is from the ground the better…..Of course I have since discovered it isn’t that simple. The step and handrail issues aren’t really important, what I want is the best solution, preferably one that doesn’t involve another layer of concrete. (expensive) How high should I set my floor for maximum effect? From any chosen floor level there is comfortably enough headroom for a relatively high ceiling if required. Can anyone advise me on the height a room this size should be to be acoustically pleasing? There is also the matter of how to support the roof? – Hung from the girders above or resting on an inner frame or both? Each wall has different characteristics. If you look at the diagram above you can see what I thought might be suitable for each. Again, I’m open to suggestions. I am worried that wall C is the weak point. It has to work as well as the others. Also, should I build all the walls from existing floor to ceiling and sit the new floor and ceiling inside OR build the inner walls on top of the floating floor and the outer from floor to ceiling? If I can get these questions definitively answered then I’d be definitely grateful. Morgan

pdf's of existing and proposed layouts.... morgan