Two-Car Garage Layout Suggestion

Well, I've gone back and forth with my builder on this. I've gone from a 1,400 sq ft space down to a 21x22 space because me and my wife are deathly afraid that the studio will cause our entire house build not to appraise for what it's costing to do. And frankly, I'm not comfortable with that gamble because I don't have the extra change laying around to cover the difference. So, here I am...back at square one...working on a layout in something that's going to be the size of a two car garage. I sure would like some help on the layout. I'm posting a SketchUp file of my rough layout. What I did represents the actual room dimensions, but I've left 6" of space between the rooms to allow for lumber, drywall, and a 1" air gap. I'll be in a private subdivision on a 0.6 acre lot or so. The house will be about 2,700 sq ft of that. I'd like some decent sound isolation so I won't disturb neighbors in other houses. I do loud rock music. I might record other bands on an invite only basis but it's mainly just me, my family, friends, and my band. Probably one instrument at a time most times but the possibility of more. Exterior of the building will be all brick. I'm throwing around the idea of adding garage doors or not. Depends what everyone here thinks. I'll have a door on the side or something that will allow me access to the studio. Where that door is just depends on the layout. I sure would like some help on the layout. At the moment, all I really want is to maximize the space. A control room and a separate live room are requirements. A second live room/vocal room would be nice. And if I could get a drum room, live room, control room, and vocal booth in there, I'd be loving that. Also, there has to be room for one half bath. My SketchUp shows that I have a control room, live room, and a possible 2nd live room off the main live room and the control room. The other thing was my somewhat failed attempt at a vocal booth while trying to accommodate a hallway/entry point and a bathroom. Help! I'm certainly open to suggestion. I just need to know what to tell my builder so I can get a quote and get the building of my house started! Once I get a layout going, I may start a studio build journal here. Honestly, there are only a few people here that have been open to helping me in the past. The others, not so much. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong in my posts. I sure do try to be as detailed as possible. All I want is a bit of advice and someone to turn me in the right direction. :| :mrgreen: Well, I think that about covers it. I don't have a budget per se. After all, the problem here is not total cost but whether it will appraise for what I need it to so I can actually get the home loan for it. When I was planning the 1,400 sq ft space, the banks kept telling me there were no comparables so it would just end up being an expensive "shop" and probably not appraise for what it's really worth... :cry: Anyway, enough of my babbling and complaining...the SketchUp... EDIT: Forgot to mention that I'm currently assuming my ceiling height will be 9 ft. I'd like more but we'll see.

Over 24 hours and nothing? I've searched through 10 pages of results of my '2 car garage' search and found nothing that I could really use that met my requirements.

have you found, side shows build?

lilith_envy wrote:

have you found, side shows build?

I have, but it doesn't meet my personal requirements.

Hello Myraid. Back to square one huh? Man, do I understand. And people wonder why it takes so long to build personal studios in personal spaces. Its not like planning a commercial space with a big budget is it? I'd like to offer my help, but there is ONE isuue from the getgo that I would address first and formost. And thats the garage door. Not that there aren't others, but that one alone is a biggie. Addressing it after the fact is always a nightmare for most folks. Heres why. First, I fully understand the "resale" thing, which is always the rule that governs everything. So right off the bat, you have to address the design to reflect the ability to "demo" the studio in order to bring the space back to its intended space...ie...a garage. In that respect, I see a few options to look at prior to building the actual house.

I just need to know what to tell my builder so I can get a quote and get the building of my house started!

From this I gather you are STILL in the planning stage which is really good. Many things can be addressed from the start, that most people have to deal with after the fact. Like HVAC, the slab/footings, the house/garage partition wall/ roof-ceiling framing and sheithing choices, and doors/windows--the big garage door especially. From the outset, it would appear, that the mere fact that you are a "rocker", says a ton. Personally, I would address the isolation issue as if your WIFES future happiness depended on it. :mrgreen: Not to mention your own. You have the opportunity to design this from the get-go to pre consider all the elements it takes to properly isolate this space. However, there is a ton of info I would need in order to offer my help correctly. But just for the sake of illustrating my point, here is the "usual" solution for AFTER THE FACT isolation most people would have to do...in order to keep their home appearance intact, while still giving a modicum of isolation. Personally, given the fact that you do have the opportunity to consider alternatives, I'd approach this differently. But we'll talk about that later. Here is what I mean. If it did turn out this is what you have to do, at least now you can plan on it from the get go...meaning you can have the builders frame this during construction as a REMOVABLE element. :mrgreen: Not only that, but they can plan the framing at the ceiling to interface with it. Anyway, heres what I mean. BTW, this is TWO DOUBLE GARAGE DOORS. Remember, this is only an example. Ok, thats all I wanted to say for now. Untill I see your plans(in a downloadable format preferably or with good dimensions) theres not much I can add at this point. fitZ

:oops: OOPS! just saw the file. Ok, I'll be back. Oh wait, can you tell me anything about the exterior finishes...ie...brick, wood sheithing, roof material etc? Or do you have an elevation drawing of the front showing the garage and door? Sure would help see the overall design intention.

Ok Myraid. Wheres the door to the house and the big garage door? :mrgreen: I don't have any orientation or know where the exterior and partition walls are. :? fitZ

cadesignr wrote:

Ok Myraid. Wheres the door to the house and the big garage door? :mrgreen: I don't have any orientation or know where the exterior and partition walls are. :? fitZ

fitZ! I didn't recognize you with the different user name! How are you? The door is wherever it needs to be, really. That current SketchUp is at 21x22. I'm thinking TWO smaller garage doors on the 22' side. However, like I said, I don't have to have them. I can get the builder to just brick that up like a normal building would be. That leads to the next answer...the exterior will be all brick. As far as partition walls, I left 6" of space to allow for material thickness...if that's what you're talking about. I didn't extend the walls up in the SketchUp. It's basically a floor plan just so I can submit it to my builder and he can get a drawing going for himself. OH! I think I know what you mean by partition wall...the wall between the house and the garage? There isn't one. This is a stand alone garage. :D Does that cover it? EDIT: If need be, I can go up to 25x25 on the total space available. Of course, smaller = more cost savings and more likely it will appraise for what it's worth. Like I've said, the appraisal is all I'm worried about right now.

Ok, lets just give it some scale so we can see the spatial limitations. :mrgreen:

Myraid, is your house already designed, to the point you could post a few elevations? I mean, do you have more than just a floor plan. What I'm getting at is...I'd like to see how the garage interfaces with the house. Putting the garage door ANYWHERE doesn't help me understand the overall design. Reason is...I want to know the HEIGHT limitations in regards to any planned ROOFLINES, that must be kept in order for the overall house design to work. ie...CATHEDRAL CEILING IN THE GARAGE :mrgreen: I'm sure you want the garage to look like part of the house, right? :wink:

cadesignr wrote:

Myraid, is your house already designed, to the point you could post a few elevations? I mean, do you have more than just a floor plan. What I'm getting at is...I'd like to see how the garage interfaces with the house. Putting the garage door ANYWHERE doesn't help me understand the overall design. Reason is...I want to know the HEIGHT limitations in regards to any planned ROOFLINES, that must be kept in order for the overall house design to work. ie...CATHEDRAL CEILING IN THE GARAGE :mrgreen: I'm sure you want the garage to look like part of the house, right? :wink:

The garage where the studio will be is a stand-alone structure. It will not be attached to the house at all. Also, I can't see the images you are posting. It just says "Image".

OH!! Seperate building huh? Well, thats a whole nuther animal. :mrgreen: Cool. Lets get on with it then. :mrgreen: Hmmm, since this is still the garage(no additional garage attatched to the house I assume), I wonder if there are any codes requiring a garage door etc. You might wanna check into these. Moreover, I'd STILL plan it into the framing in the event you have to resell at some point. At least you could demo the "fill" and install a garage door at that time.

Also, I can't see the images you are posting. It just says "Image".

:shock: Hmmmm, thats wierd. I see them. I don't know why, other than the fact I "host" my images, and John "prefers" people to upload them here. Maybe some kind of "host censoring"? :? But still, I see them so I don't know whats going on. Maybe something on your end? fitZ

cadesignr wrote:

OH!! Seperate building huh? Well, thats a whole nuther animal. :mrgreen: Cool. Lets get on with it then. :mrgreen: Hmmm, since this is still the garage(no additional garage attatched to the house I assume), I wonder if there are any codes requiring a garage door etc. You might wanna check into these. Moreover, I'd STILL plan it into the framing in the event you have to resell at some point. At least you could demo the "fill" and install a garage door at that time.

Actually, my house itself will have an attached two car garage that I'll use for my...you guessed it...cars. :mrgreen:

cadesignr wrote:

:shock: Hmmmm, thats wierd. I see them. I don't know why, other than the fact I "host" my images, and John "prefers" people to upload them here. Maybe some kind of "host censoring"? :? But still, I see them so I don't know whats going on. Maybe something on your end? fitZ

It was my firewall here at work. I disabled my connection and got on the wireless network and the images appeared.

cadesignr wrote:

Ok, lets just give it some scale so we can see the spatial limitations. :mrgreen:

External image, not preserved — original: http://httpics.com//is.php?i=936&img=21x22_Layout_fo.jpg

:shock: Looks....uh....smaller than I thought.

It was my firewall here at work.

At WORK? : You sly dog you. :mrgreen: Well, I thought it was your end. Good, at least I know John isn't pissed at me for posting pics via a host. For me, the image works better. THey turn out different when I upload them here. The resolution size is different for some reasong. When I upload a 700width size here, it appears smaller than if I use my hosted image of the same size. fitZ

cadesignr wrote:

It was my firewall here at work.

At WORK? : You sly dog you. :mrgreen: Well, I thought it was your end. Good, at least I know John isn't pissed at me for posting pics via a host. For me, the image works better. THey turn out different when I upload them here. The resolution size is different for some reasong. When I upload a 700width size here, it appears smaller than if I use my hosted image of the same size. fitZ

Looks like I may want to reconsider my rooms, huh? I thought the CR was gonna be big enough. And maybe I'm looking at your image wrong...but it looks like it's WAY too small.

but it looks like it's WAY too small.

Myriad, that is EXACTLY why I inserted items to give it scale. When you have no "human scale", there is nothing to compare it with. And most of the time, the imagination tends to oversize things like rooms when viewed with no scale of comparison. And yes, I agree with you. 21/22 is WAY too small for that many rooms. Frankly, my control room is 14x18 feet, and width wise is JUST large enough, and length wise is just large enough to allow live recording in the room of two musicians. I suggest you consider having a large "booth" and a control room. A "live room" in this space is really not large enough to make it LIVE acoustically. What I mean is a room with acoustics that have a large room sound. Thats not to say it has to be dead. In fact, if it were me, I would re-consider the basic exterior dimensions. If this is a garage "package deal", thats one thing, but if you can build it to meet your studio requirements, then thats another animal. Lets look at the basics..ok. Give me till tomorrow and I'll try to post a few layouts. gotta go now. fitZ

If this is a garage "package deal", thats one thing, but if you can build it to meet your studio requirements, then thats another animal. Lets look at the basics

+1 Andre

cadesignr wrote:

but it looks like it's WAY too small.

Myriad, that is EXACTLY why I inserted items to give it scale. When you have no "human scale", there is nothing to compare it with. And most of the time, the imagination tends to oversize things like rooms when viewed with no scale of comparison. And yes, I agree with you. 21/22 is WAY too small for that many rooms. Frankly, my control room is 14x18 feet, and width wise is JUST large enough, and length wise is just large enough to allow live recording in the room of two musicians. I suggest you consider having a large "booth" and a control room. A "live room" in this space is really not large enough to make it LIVE acoustically. What I mean is a room with acoustics that have a large room sound. Thats not to say it has to be dead. In fact, if it were me, I would re-consider the basic exterior dimensions. If this is a garage "package deal", thats one thing, but if you can build it to meet your studio requirements, then thats another animal. Lets look at the basics..ok. Give me till tomorrow and I'll try to post a few layouts. gotta go now. fitZ

Yeah...I see what you're saying... :( And it's not a package deal. I can do what I want on the studio size. I'm limited by what the bank appraisal is going to say vs how much the build will cost, though. That's the downside. So, I do need to keep it realistic from that angle while still remaining functional for me and what I want to do. The problem for going bigger is not really a cost problem (well, it kinda is) but more of an appraisal problem. For basics, I would say my requirements are: - a Control Room that's comfortable enough for me to have room to work and have a couch in the back for a visitor or two - a "live room" that is big enough to comfortably record drums and other instruments as well as voice - a restroom with a toilet and a small sink If I have to change the overall dimensions of the building, so be it. I just want to be able to work comfortably. All I can hope for on the lender end is that the appraiser gives it the benefit of the doubt. As an aside, I worked up another SketchUp of a 25x25 space with 10' ceilings. I've attached that. I really appreciate the help. It's giving me some perspective on what I want and how that can fit within my potential appraisal budget. Once I have a plan, I can submit it to the builder and then he can submit it to the bank for an appraisal before we even start building.

Alternatively, I could consider doing two rooms, about 17 in length by 14 in width with 9' ceiling heights. This would give me something close to the 1:1.14:1.39 Sepmeyer ratio. And then do this with the CR Then treat the quasi LR appropriately. I could have my builder work in a bathroom outside of this. Let that kind of dictate my building size...thoughts? Oh, and for HVAC, use a mini-split system with a unit in each room...?

Here's a quick pic of what I'm talking about...

+1 Andre

:shock: :shock: :shock: Holy Mackeral!! An +1 from Andre! Will wonders ever cease! :mrgreen: Baby steps ain't so bad after all. :mrgreen:

Well its all done. er..at least the control room is. Just kidden. Havin some fun though. :mrgreen:

cadesignr wrote:

Just kidden. Havin some fun though. :mrgreen:

:shock: :?: fitz, care to comment on my idea of having those two 17x14 rooms? Then treat those appropriately...?

quote] fitz, care to comment on my idea of having those two 17x14 rooms? Then treat those appropriately...?[/quote] Sure, as soon as I look at a few things. Maybe tomorrow. Really tapped for time today. Honey do' day, ya know what I mean? :roll: :mrgreen: Hope I didn't confuse you with the last pics. I had worked on those for a few days right after you PM'd me. And THEN, the ball dropped on that plan. :roll: Well, I figured I'd just toss them in here. What do you think about the design though? Anything you see that you like?

cadesignr wrote:

quote]What do you think about the design though? Anything you see that you like?

I love it! I'm worried about being able to pull it off, but I like it a lot.