New Studio Project - Lisbon, Portugal

Hello everyone! My first post but a long time voyeur from this forum... since I'm always interested in consuming reliable info about this kind of subjects, studio construction, design etc. So, the thing is this (I need the help of all smart and expert brains): I've been thinking to build my own studio for two years now! I've been working on a commercial studio in Portugal for about three years, but now I have decided to build one of my own! I've just bought an apartment with two bedrooms, one living room and the usual on all apartments... kitchen, wc, storage room... And my primary intention is to build a control room on one bedroom and a live tracking (recording) room on the second bedroom - this is my project... a nice looking good place where musicians could record their projects, with all the necessary means to attain a final product... tracking acoustic drums, guitars with miked amps, synths, vocals and so on... Now the details about what I Have with present conditions, Want... and questions of what I need: Below on PDF there is the self-made blueprint of the apartment and some 3D images also on PDF of the same. I've also attached some pictures taken to the two rooms for a real feeling of the rooms! So, the apartment is on a quite street with almost no traffic outside noise since its a basement, its the last floor of the building. I have neighbours on my right, left and above! Control Room: I want that this room should be suitable to be used also as a tracking room, mixing room and also mastering room. The floor is Parket, the 4 walls is 20cm brick-wall (with no further info about it). Measurements: W: 3.57m L: 2.86m H: 2.77m Tiny I know... but this is what I got! It has a window (small) on one of the walls (as you can see on the 3D PDF with 2.19m of width and 40cm of height... the elevation is about 2 meters. I would like to have a window to communicate with the tracking room. (small one) like 1.50m of width and about 1 meter height. Finally you can also see on the PDF blueprints one ceiling wall almost on the middle of the room with 40cm of height supporting the building I thing (a master span wall). Now I know how to treat acoustically the room, but Isolating it from the rest of the world that part... well not good enough for it... And what I would like from you all, which I know that you all are very nice professionals, hobbiests and ultimately persons... is: A design for isolation and acoustic treatment... I would like to know what you would do if the space was yours... and how you do it??? Now the Tracking Room: This room should be used to track acoustic drums (general mid-sized ones), guitars (electric and acoustic) with miked amps, vocals and so on... The floor is Parket, the 4 walls is 20cm brick-wall (with no further info about it). Measurements: W: 3.42m L: 2.76m H: 2.77m It has the same window connected with the control room (the one with a 2 meters elevation) and has a master window to the quite street on the left corner with 1.59m width , 1.20m height and a 1.20 m elevation What I ask for this one is almost the same on the previous one: A design for isolation and acoustic treatment... I would like to know what you would do if the space was yours... and how you do it??? I think that I didn't forget anything... the rooms have doors of course... with 80cm of width and 2.24m of height each. On the pdf you can see where they are... have not taken any exact measures about their position but you can actually see about their disposition! I know that the space is limited and tiny but unfortunately is what I have available to make what I love more... If any more info is needed please don't hesitate on asking! Advanced thanks if you read this... and hope you could help me about this long and hard task I have on my head! Cheers All!

"Update" Missed pictures... realized that is allowed only 12 pictures/files for post... but have more...

Your rooms are square and in some cases almost a cube. So, in my opinion, none of these will work. Brien

xSpace wrote:

Your rooms are square and in some cases almost a cube. So, in my opinion, none of these will work. Brien

That's not an option to me... sorry... I must use them... the two or one... 1+1 or 1 I may take down the dividing wall... Anyone else? Cheers

Anyone else?

Sure! Me! And I agree with Brien: Your room dimensions are too close, and the ratios are lousy. You will have to do something to change that. If knocking down walls is an option, then that will work. Other wise you'll have to build new walls inside the existing ones, to re-shape the rooms. But that will make them rather small...

Below on PDF there is the self-made blueprint of the apartment and some 3D images also on PDF of the same.

Instead of posting PDF files it would be better to mode the rooms in SketchUp and post the actual model here, so people can take a close look, measure, make suggestions, etc.

tracking acoustic drums, guitars with miked amps, synths, vocals and so on... ... I have neighbours on my right, left and above! ...

So you are going to need a LOT of isolation between your room and the rest of the building. What are your numbers right now? How much extra isolation do you need? You can't design anything until you know those basic numbers.

It has a window (small) on one of the walls (as you can see on the 3D PDF with 2.19m of width and 40cm of height... the elevation is about 2 meters.

Is that the wall between the two rooms? If so, is that a structural wall (load bearing)? And if so, are you allowed to knock down that wall and build a new one in a different place? (Local construction code, building bylaws, etc.) What is that wall made of? What about the side walls to the corridor: can you move those?

a master window to the quite street on the left corner

Are you allowed to brick up that window? What is that beam running through the middle of the room? Is that a concrete structural beam, or maybe just a duct of some sort?

I would like to know what you would do if the space was yours... and how you do it???

What is your budget? Without knowing that it is impossible to suggest a plan of action. Doing that right is going to take a lot of money. You might need to hire a structural engineer to take a look at the walls and plans, to see what you can and cannot do, before you take any decisions on where to put walls and how to arrange the layout. - Stuart -

Sure! Me! And I agree with Brien: Your room dimensions are too close, and the ratios are lousy. You will have to do something to change that. If knocking down walls is an option, then that will work. Other wise you'll have to build new walls inside the existing ones, to re-shape the rooms. But that will make them rather small...

Thanks for the spent time on my project Stuart! I thought that a room in a room will make the rooms itself rather little, even more than it is already! But that was on my mind 'till now... that was an option... maybe now is not... I can't work with sketchup... I've tried but can't really...

So you are going to need a LOT of isolation between your room and the rest of the building. What are your numbers right now? How much extra isolation do you need? You can't design anything until you know those basic numbers.

As I can tell... I think that the Brick walls are 20cm deep and I may need 80 to 90dB of further isolation.

Is that the wall between the two rooms? If so, is that a structural wall (load bearing)? And if so, are you allowed to knock down that wall and build a new one in a different place? (Local construction code, building bylaws, etc.) What is that wall made of? What about the side walls to the corridor: can you move those?

Yes my friend, it's the wall between the rooms and it's not a structural wall.... it can be knock down for sure and placed if we wish on a different place. The wall is made of 20cm bricks. The side walls however can't be knock down or even move them!

Are you allowed to brick up that window?

Of course!

What is that beam running through the middle of the room? Is that a concrete structural beam, or maybe just a duct of some sort?

The beam is a concrete structural one...

What is your budget? Without knowing that it is impossible to suggest a plan of action. Doing that right is going to take a lot of money.

€5.000 euros - 6500 dollars Cheers, Leopoldo

Heres a Sketchup which I've made this afternoon! Hope it helps sorting thing out!