community studio help!!

Hi all I am a newb to this site, I need some help! I run a community music project on Anglesey in Wales UK, we have recently acquired an old disused chapel. The floor area is 15.2m x 9.23m, I have tried using sketch up but can’t work it out! I was wondering whether anyone had any ideas. Many thanks for taking the time to look any advise would be greatly received, Mark

I must appologize I have just read the 'before you post' after posting sorry! the room size is 15.27length x 9.23 width and 7m high but this will change as we want to put in a second floor, the budget is about £400k but this is for the whole build not just for the studio! in the space we would like a live and dead area a control room and a vocal booth. I am afraid I have a lack of knowledge when it comes to construction of a studio I know how to use all the gear when it is there. Again many thanks for taking the time to look Mark

the room size is 15.27length x 9.23 width and 7m high but this will change as we want to put in a second floor,

What is the upper room going to be used for? I certainly hope it's not for the studio. Just in case thats what you had in mind, let me quote a well known studio designer,

an adequately isolated room of 10 m× 6m× 4m in a residential building could easily contain 40 tonnes.

And if this IS the case, I can positively tell you, providing a floor with enough mass to function as a STUDIO FLOOR is a lhighly expensive proposition requireing Professional expertize in not only planing, but articulation Even if its not, right off the batt, I can tell you that plan a hunk of your budget for the Transmission Loss construction, especially the Studio Ceiling/floor above, not to mention loss of space for this assembly as well. However, untill you provide a ton of information about this existing building, recording goals, type of music etc, it would be impossible to give you credible help. At the least, we need an floor plan of the building as it exists, and another perhaps of your intended design. And pictures always help. Personally, with enough information I may be able to extrapolate a model of your ideas in Sketchup for you. But there is a problem regarding the Structual element of the second floor. No one can provide this type information on the internet. At some point, you may need the services of a Structural engineer, if not an Architect to provide oversight, co-ordination, and the documentation services required to secure a permit. Thats not to say we can't help you sort out basic ideas and problems, but articulating a complete design over the internet is impossible. The reason is simple. Without a doubt, anytime you remodel a building requiring the construction of an upper floor, a permit will be required. Which suggests to me, for a Studio Project of this scope, you might be wise to go ahead and hire either a Professional Studio Designer or an Architect who is familiar with all aspects of Studio construction as well as your local Building codes. fitZ

Mark, Read the stickies...John recommends this for a reason.

Thanks fitZ, no the second floor is not for the studio it will house an office a few teaching rooms and a community radio with two suites. I have a Architect already but he has never done a studio before! plus he is giving his time for free as the project helped his son please see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8327767.stm Does anyone know of a studio designer in the UK they could recomend?? Again many thanks for looking Mark

I'd suggest that you contact John himself, directly. He's done studios all over the world.