needing some suggestion on studio layout

Thanks Keith

Thanks for sending me the file John but I tried to open the dxf file and for some reason or another its not letting my cad program read the file. Some weird error message I've never seen before keeps popping up everytime I try Doni

Oh - I'm trying to export it from smartdraw. try this cheers john

Man, what an awesome space to work with. John just redesigned that space into something totally fantastic. DreaminDrumBeats: I framed houses for years, had my own construction business and all that, I payed my dues. Now I'm a project manager for a large company and basically tell everybody what to do. :twisted: It's good to see someone else here with good construction knowledge. I've learned a lot about sound isolation and less about accoustics but I know if I stick around here I'll be doing those calculations too, and so will you. :!: Keep up the good work. Marcel

I was gonna ask you for the smartdraw version anyways cause I just got the program a few weeks ago just haven't really tried using it.

Xalky wrote:

It's good to see someone else here with good construction knowledge.

Amen to that! :) We have some great representation from those trades, but it's wonderful to have even more! :mrgreen: (Especially considering the fact that I'm inching my way closer to actually doing actual construction work on my project, and I'll likely need to be rescued with answers to my stupid questions very soon!) ;)

here you go: cheers john

Thanks John. oh by the way I have a question for you what degree are you placing the front walls that face the studio? I'm asking cause after i got the general dimensions from your very first file you sent John by using smartdraw I went back and redid the dxf file to where its acemetrical

Well here is an updated version of my dxf file based on Johns redesign. Doni

Well from my last post a few things changed in the design of the layout. Here are some 3D rendered gifs from my 3D home architecture program. Well I have been back at the drawing borad again and have made even more changes that were quite esential like a water heater and furnace room and some dehumidifiers for the cavaties that wont be in use, and a more defined lobby area so here is the new version of what some of you have seen already

Last of the pics. Tell me what you think. Especially you John

Last one and im sorry if they are a little big.

Yeah, they are big -- you'll probably want to nudge them down to no more than about 700 pixels as requested by the site admin here. That being said, my big fat screen runs 1800x1440 (so the big images don't bother me particularly), and they look NICE. 8) That double entry door may be a real pain to seal up though. Most doors I see on this forum are singles. You may want to reconsider that.

yeah I seen that and switched it back to a sliding door. Pics have been resized

That's looking good Doni - I'm not sure about all the doors in the control room - maybe one door into the first left booth and then access the second booth from the first, but hey that's being pickey :):). Otherwise you appear to have it all under control - well done mate :) cheers john

Very cool! Four dehumidifers should keep you out of moisture trouble! Plus, there are some clever storage areas for all your extra 2x4s! ;) With all those windows and doors, you've certainly got your work cut out for you! But it's going to be nice, that's for sure! :idea: In those corner humdifier closets -- how about flipping their swing so that they still swing into the closet, but with the hingest closest to the corner? That would allow for some pretty large and awkward items to fit in there. I had a few other ideas, but rather than just describing them, I mocked them up:

Changing location of dehumidifier area door in the lower right corner of the control room, nearest the "Entry & Lobby" area Combining dehumidifier areas adjacent to control room and utility room for more usable space Eliminating need to go through "Tech & Storage" area to get to bathroom by moving equipment racks to closet that backs up against wall near control room -- perhaps the back can be open for access in the "tight squeeze" spot between the walls...? (If that's not feasible or desirable, just move it across to its original location against the exterior wall.) Adding a shower in the bathroom -- we drummers get sweaty! ;) Eliminating need to go through bathroom to get to utility room by moving its door to area in front of bathroom door

What do you think? :roll:

The program I use is funny it doesn't allow for you to choose which way the doors swings. But thats no problem I'll just change it on my cad program. I'm glad I can export it over to dxf. Well I got to thinking with all the dead unuseable space I'm sure there would be moisture problems. I wasn't even thinking of using the space as storage but now that you pointed it out hey thats just an added extra bonus. The only thing I would change in what you've redone to mine is take out the showerbath combo you put in shay my line of thinkin is does anyone really need to take a shower at a working studio. Heres a question for you John now that the layout is pretty much done what kind of acoustic treatment would you put in and where or should I wait for that question after it's built and had proper sound meter readings.

Doni - is a single toilet going to be enough for a building of that size? not sure it would meet county specs in that area?? also it appears that you've used all your control room rear trapping space for other things. so those are dehumidifiers?? couldn't read it, why?? in Pennsylvania?? maybe in Phoenix but you're in a climate similar to southern australia and we don't use dehumidifiers. cheers john

Pheonix is a very dry climate it's desert so you wouldn't need dehumidifiers there. Here in Pennsylvania we have a somewhat moist & humid climate during the spring and summer months more so in the summer months so it's quite essential here. I have one friend who uses a dehumidifier just to keep his basement dry so that he can keep his bands equipment from getting damaged by excess moisture in the air storing it in the basement. And here the irc code doesn't require there be a bathroom in the basement of this size it's considered an option. And here you can get away with just one bathroom all that has to be done is have a unisex symbol on the door of the bathroom My original thought about the doors you see into the trapping area behind the control room and the trapping area to the rear sides of the studio was just there to be able to get to dehumidifiers if work needed to be done on them not to use the space as storage (Bad Idea?) what's the optimal size for a control room John using a trapaziod shaped room as reference for overall width, length, and height

I just realized this... Where'd the stairs go? This started out as a basement, but from the latest images, it looks like a standalone building now. :?

The only thing I would change in what you've redone to mine is take out the showerbath combo you put in shay my line of thinkin is does anyone really need to take a shower at a working studio.

No problem -- take or leave. ;) But this sweaty drummer says, yes, someone might need it! (Hey, you said yourself that your summers are humid -- heck, I'd proably need a shower just after loading and setting up my drum kit! :lol) Even though the shower in my mockup is not square, I wasn't picturing a shower/tub combo. I figured it would be a rectangular stall shower (although there's no reason you couldn't make it a square if you wanted to). Consider also that it would be convenient for dumping buckets. (I considered adding a basin to the "Utility" area for that purpose specifically, but it was getting tight in there and I figured it wasn't really necesary. Maybe you could frame and plumb for a shower but not actually install one, then install one after the fact if desired.

Yeah Shay I did take out the stairs. And after thinking about it a while lastnight I've actually changed things once more, lol will post pics soon so you can see what I've done. And actually added more sq footage to the building to allow for some extra space for a reception space, office space, and larger lobby and unloading area and 2 bathrooms with showers.

Well here are the pics I PROMISED. But now I'm confused I was reading on sae's site about having to angle doors in walls if you use the sound lock feature in your design. For the prupose of keeping the doors from resonating. So my question if how much of a degree sould there be in the difference of the 2 doors (5 to 10 degree) out of parallel? After this question is answered will tell me if i need to rethink my design a lil not nessasarily the shape but more of the size of it So here is the rough design at this point, hope you like

Continued

It's getting bigger and bigger :):) cheers john

I know I cant help myself lol. :lol: :lol:

And yet more changes due to me reading the recording manual. Hope I'm getting the design part of it down. Now if i was only good at math :lol: