NEW CONSTRUCTION IN SOUTH AMERICA, LET´S PLAN IT TOGHETER!!!

HOLA QUERIDOS AMIGOS!!! My name is Daniel and I recently moved from Montreal, Canada to Buenos Aires ARGENTINA with all my studio equipment and hopefully we can all add up to my new life project. Things down here are done very different than in the US or CA, there are no building permits or laws or inspectors or even insurance in residential properties (they exist but as we all know it´s a 3rd world country and things work very different than in teory). We will be starting with a layout base 3.8 mts wide by 12.50 long made out of concrete wich is allready built! THAT IS ALL WE HAVE NOW... NO WALLS, CEILINGS, ONLY THE BASE, SO THIS IS THE STARTING POINT Things here are built with different materials and construction methods, for example, walls are made with solid bricks, hollow bricks, cement coverings and some other things that I am not familiar with. House ceiling are usually 2.4 mts high and for what people have told me, gypsum walls are only used in appartment buidings or offices. STUD FRAMING IS UNKNOWN BY EVERYONE I ASKED, istead they make CONCRETE columns filled with structural wire. Walls in a house are usualy 15 cm wide, but other widhts used are 20, 30 and 45 cm. SO IF ANYONE IS EXPERIENCED WITH THESE MATERIALS.... PLEASE HELP!! Studio will record live bands of latin music as also midi sequencing, maybe 2 or 3 people at a time in the live room, and control should fit me and maybe 3 or 4 more people sitting around comfty on a couch. There should be a bathroom and a little kitchen with a small gas stove to heat up water for the famous MATE (argentinian tea). So I guess the layout will have 3 divisions, live room, controll room, and the last one with the bathroom and kitchen. I HAVE NO CLUE IN WHAT DESIGNING REQUIERES, SO, if anyone is interested I would ask you to start drawing something and discussing different aspects of the studio plan... WALL WIGHTS, ANGLES, CEILING HEIGHT, CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS COMPARISON. MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR NOW SO HIT ME WITH SOMETHING NOT OVER 40000 DOLLARS, WICH IS A LOT DOWN HERE NOW BECAUSE OF THE EXCHANGE. WHEN WE FINISH THIS, EVERYONE WHO ADDED AND IDEA OR COMMENT IS INVITED TO MY HOUSE FOR A HUGE BARBQ!!!! THANX EVERYONE, THIS FORUM IS FULL OF AWESOME PEOPLE SO I KNOW I´M IN THE RIGHT PLACE ONE MORE THING... MR SAYERS YOU ROCK!!! GOD BLESS YOU! HASTA PRONTO

Show us a photo and make a quick sketch of the area so it's easier to visulise, don't forget to read the forum rulez or people get funny for obvious reasons.

Thanx Paul for the reply, here is what you requested: Ok the 3RD pic is an aerial photo of the base, the red arrow indicates a little structure that is being demolished because it is higher than the floor, to complete an even surface and get the 12,50 mts long. The 1ST and 2ND pictures are showing was is being done now, as you can see that structure is disapeering and on tuesday workers will start placing columns and complete the even base with the other part of the building I made a little paint drawing to show how I would like to place things along the base, red arrow indicates where the entrance door will be located, but like I said before I have no clue about how to design walls, neither the proportions of the rooms, or ceilling height, or wall angles... As you can see it is being built as we speak, IT IS A SERIOUS PROJECT SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO ADD TO THIS HOPE THIS HELPS EVERYONE TO VISUALIZE THIS A LITTLE BETTER NOW I AM ANXIOUS TO START DISCUSSING IDEAS NOW SO PLEASE POST REPLIES!!!! THANX

Well, this week, workers will start building exterior walls out of solid bricks with a layer of CERESITA (hidrofugo) water repellent cement. I need to know if a 15 cm thick wall will be sufficient, since an interior room will be made out of stud frames and gypsum walls. Also, what would be a reasonable room height?, like I posted before, house heights are usually 2,40-2,70mts high. I read in some book that a 43 cubic meter room is a minimum for any studio? so considering the layout measurements can someone recomend something. Hope to hear from somebody soon! Pictures will be added this week Thanx Daniel

In your posts so far, I don't see any information about what kind of isolation you will need. How close are you noisy streets, neighbors, factories, airports, etc? Will you be able to play late and loud without having neighbors storm your studio with torches and pitchforks? Ok, that my two cents worth. I'll take my steak medium. :-) len

Dear Len, thanx for the questions, MY NEIGHBOR IS PROBABLY LOUDER THAN I AM :? . I live in a quiet neighborhood, few trucks with trailers pass by every day but since most of my recordings will be at night trafiic is very light, if any so the only thing that will bother me is DOGS BARKING ON THE STREETS AND MY NEIGHBORS LOUD MUSIC, he plays it in his back yard No airport or factory No problem with the steak, I will allways remember THE LONE STAR STEAKS IN OTTAWA, THEY WHERE THA BEST IN CANADA! :D TAKE CARE

Rather than all parallel walled rooms, have you looked at something more like this? http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/index.html The "garage studio 1" plan looks adaptable. If no one builds with stud wall construction there, where do you plan to get the framing material? Also, if your noise requirements aren't a major concern you might be better off just thickening your outer, masonry walls - just make sure your footings can take the weight. I believe Julian had access to an engineer of some sort to help figure this stuff out... Steve

OK STEVE, I think the studio layout you proposed is very nice and very adaptable to what I wanted. Now, knowing the dimensions of the base, 3,80 WIDE by 12,50 mts LONG. QUESTIONS Would you be able to tell me the proportions of the control and studio divisions) so the batroom and kitchen area doesnt exceed 2 mts long? Considering these proportions, what would be a reasonable height for this layout? Don´t get pissed, basically what workers are doing right now is leveling the terrace so we have an even surface to work on, and today they started building the outter columns made out of concrete that will support roof and 15 cm thick solid brick walls. I will post some pictures later this afternoon Thanx Dan