Before I start to design

Hey folks First time posting here. Sorry in advance....... it's gonna be a big one I am looking for a space in which to build a modest studio that I can do some of my work from. I have spent a great deal of my life inside studio's, and have even witnessed or been involved in the building of a couple. Which makes me feel I may have just enough knowledge on the subject to be dangerous, despite my intense research over the last few weeks. I would like to say this forum has proven a very valuable resource. I anticipate that this studio will mainly serve the purposes of overdubbing, and mixing. So within the parameters of my requirements and limited budget, and the fact that it will be in leased space therefore at best long term but temporary. I believe this calls for a control room and a performance space taking up probably taking up less than 30m2 all up. However I should point out that I would like to be able to track dry & direct drums occasionally in whatever I build Anyhow before I settle on a design I need to find somewhere to house it. I am currently looking at a space which raises some questions that I did not think I would encounter. It is huge, and has way more open space than I need, But it is also cheaper than the rent for a 12m2 studio apartment in the same area. So I believe it is worth investigating. The remaining space will allow for best case scenario. Which to me is that the studio not only sustains itself but allows for future expansion. It is a 250m2 first floor warehouse space of double brick construction. With at least 200m2 of open plan floor space. The floor appears to be a massive concrete slab. There is a mechanics workshop below, which kind of worried me, however someone was kind enough to be beating the crap out of something with a hammer in there while I was above checking the space, and it was almost totally inaudible upstairs. it has a wimpy office styled, aluminium framed suspended ceiling about 3.6m up. The external roof appears to be metal sheeting (looks like coulourbond ..... thanks google earth) and is quite a way further up again, perhaps another 3m. It doesnt really share any common walls with the exception that on one side the neighbouring industrial building has a wall that runs within 20mm alongside. But only for the last 10m of that wall. Since it is on a kink in the road the rest of that side has pretty much nothing in front of it for around 20m. This same wall has no windows, however the other three walls all have quite a few. The other side has a 2m gap between it and the neighbouring building, the neighbouring building has no windows on that wall. Both the front and back of the building have quite a good deal of space between the building and the neighbours, at least 5m at the back, more like 30m at the front. The open space is not obstructed by any pillars or anything else From standing within this open space the main source of noise appears to be traffic as it is on a fairly busy road. The main pathways for unwanted noise (and pathways for me to potentially annoy others) seem to be the glass entrance doors which are in a down stairs foyer. it seems a lot of noise comes through this glass and either straight up the stairs, and also through the hole in the slab for the open goods lift. Some noise comes through the upstairs windows. Although most of the front area is partitioned into a separate space which isolates at least some of those windows. There doesn't appear to be any significant aircraft traffic overhead. Anyhow most of my research on designs seem to involve squeezing a studio into whatever space is available So I am at a loss for determining how best to approach this space and the studio design and construction method. I am hoping that the esteemed members of this forum may offer some advice to help me work out this space's suitability, and how best to attack it. I guess the underlying question I have here is how much air gap qualifies as enough space to allow for the for the leaf count to start over ? Do I plan on using at least some of the perimeter double brick walls to form the outer leaf of my small studio within this space in order to save some cash ? Does anyone care to offer some advice on how I can establish if the two rows of bricks are coupled or if there is an air gap between them thus making it already a 2 leaf wall ? Do i just completely disregard the suspended ceiling since it is a long way up, full of holes for down lights, and would be very difficult to add mass too ? Should I plan on building a completely separate outer leaf, housing separate inner leaf studio room and control room smack bang in the middle of this space leaving large air gaps between this and the perimeter walls ? I really hope I have given enough info in order for more informed folk than myself to make comment. Thank you to all that have read this far. All the best

Hi Jay, I'm sorry I can't be of any help with this, but you've asked some great questions that I'd love to know the answers to. Your project sounds similar to the one I'm about to undertake, so 'll be following it with interest. I'll start a thread about my project just as soon as I've got all the information put together... Do you plan to float any floors (based on the warehouse space you're currently looking at)? Good luck!

"I guess the underlying question I have here is how much air gap qualifies as enough space to allow for the for the leaf count to start over ? Do I plan on using at least some of the perimeter double brick walls to form the outer leaf of my small studio within this space in order to save some cash ? Does anyone care to offer some advice on how I can establish if the two rows of bricks are coupled or if there is an air gap between them thus making it already a 2 leaf wall ? Do i just completely disregard the suspended ceiling since it is a long way up, full of holes for down lights, and would be very difficult to add mass too ? Should I plan on building a completely separate outer leaf, housing separate inner leaf studio room and control room smack bang in the middle of this space leaving large air gaps between this and the perimeter walls ?" The air space isn't the deciding factor of what is determined to be a leaf. It is when no connection is made, that decoupling is used between the one mass and the other mass that determines if a leaf exists or not. Although it is common to have walls sitting on the same floor, it[the floor] is not considered in the determining of what is a 2 leaf(mass/spring/mass) and what is not 2 leaf. It is often that the perimeter of existing buildings is used as part of the build, the first leaf in a two leaf design. If I had to guess at your existing brick facade, I would expect that it is basically coupled in many places via brick ties between the bricks and from the brick to the existing structure, so it would be looked at as one leaf due to be coupled in so many places. Most likely a very dense, heavy, really good start for something of this nature, so that is a good thing. Your ceiling is a matter of your design specifications so no one can say with any authority, do this or do that. If you had a budget that could support it, building a frame tall enough to accommodate an overhead framed ceiling with added substantial mass is, again, common place and not in the least bit unusual for a recording studio build. It always helps to give some dimensions and at least an idea of what you are wanting to do, even if it is scribbled on a napkin ;) Having some sound level reference is another piece of the puzzle that goes a long way in helping you to better understand what kind of noise is involved in your environment. It is also helpful with this sound level reference data that you can better explain to someone else what you are up against and there by get a better feel for how much sound has to be isolated against. It has been my experience that if your HVAC (heating and air) is not taken into consideration for your build from the very start, it will create problems that could have been avoided. It is certainly one thing among many, electrical feeds, audio cable runs, etc. but can devastate a budget or make the blind see ;)