Questions about designing my new post production studio

Okay, I posted some info on the studio construction forum, but now I'm moving my project to the design forum. Basically, as I've stated, I'm considering renting some space in New York City, and opening up a Post-production studio. I would like to have a mixing studio and a separate VO/Foley room. I am probably going to go the Pre-fab route though I am keeping my construction options open. My only question at this point is: Will the space work? In the links below, I am attaching the floor plans for the place I'm considering renting. The first link shows the room as it is currently constructed. As you can see, there is currently a partition constructed that segments the room. I was told that this partition can be removed since it is simple dry wall. Therefore, I am also attaching, in the second link, the floor plans as they would be if I removed the partition and started with a completely gutted space. As you can see in the pictures, there are two entrances to the space, and I don't mind if I only end up using one of the doors, and building right up to the other. These doors can be found at the right side of the sketch. At the far left side of the sketch are windows overlooking a pretty nice view of the street. The floor is on the 4th floor of the building, but it isn't all that noisy to begin with. My only question at this point is, can I feasibly install a mixing studio, a separate VO/Foley studio, and a small area that will multi-function as an office space, an editing space, and a client area? Is this possible given the space and the layout of the space? I would prefer the space for the office/editing/clients mentioned above to be by the windows, because the light is nice and the area would be nice to sit in and work. I would appreciate any and all help in the design, because really, the biggest concern I have and the only one holding me back from going forward with this and renting the space is the uncertainty as to whether it is sufficient to build a post-production facility in. I understand it will be a small studio and a small facility, but I don't want it to be debilitatingly small, and I don't want to go ahead and sign a lease without knowing if I can make it work. Therefore, it would be greatly appreciated if anyone can tell me if I can have a mixing studio, VO/foley room, and a nice office space by the windows all withing this space. Also, would there be any room left for some equipment racks and storage space (which would be necessary to house the foley props as well as the office supplies and other necessary tools of the business). The one thing not mentioned in the drawings is that the ceilings are about 9.5 feet high to the beams that run across. Between the beams, the ceiling runs to about 10+ feet high. Any unique and usefull ways of using the space would also be appreciated as I understand that this facility will be strapped for space. The more storage / equipment room I can create, the better I can run the studio. Is there a unique way of building upwards and/or using the nice height of the ceiling to add some storage room? Thanks for any and all of your help. I look forward to hearing from you about the feasibility of this place. I feel like I have to act rather quickly seeing as I need to sign a lease before someone else takes it. Here are the links: This first link shows the space as is with the current dry wall partitioning it: http://show.imagehosting.us/show/113966 ... 139663.jpg This second link shows the space if it was completely gutted and I was starting from scratch: http://show.imagehosting.us/show/113958 ... 139589.jpg A final question is how would air conditioning work? Do I need access to the windows? Can you run a vent from the air conditioner in a window into your studio? Is there space for good air ventilation and circulation? Thanks!!!!

how bout somethin like this

Dreamin, thanks for getting back to me so quickly and thanks for the great design. I feel that the design that you came up with is more ideally suited for music production. I hope to create a facility designed for post-production media. I would only really require two sound proof, tuned rooms. One room for mixing and one room for recording foley and sound effects (having a third vocal booth would be great, but I think I can get by with recording VO in the foley/effects room.) The main mixing room would be the bigger of the two rooms. Here, you would sit at a console, watch your picture projected on a screen and mix the sound. The room should represent a 5.1 surround theater the best it can so that your mixes can be ideally calibrated for film and media exhibition. The foley room should be smaller, but it should be big enough to have foley pits (different surfaces accessible under the floor. You can pull up the floor boards and walk on these various surfaces (e.g. concrete, dirt, gravel) to record various footsteps). It should also have enough space to move around in because foley/effects recording sometimes requires some larger movements and props. In the instance of recording foley/effects, the main mixing room would serve like a control room in music recording, and you would record the effects through the console in there while communicating to the foley/effects artist through the talkback and a window connecting the two rooms. Other than these two rooms, I don't need anything else. I just need a space separate from these two rooms where the office stuff takes place and where meetings with clients can occur and where general business can be conducted without interfering with a mix or a recording that might be going on. This third space doesn't have to be sound proofed or anything. Ideally, I would like this space to be by the windows. So, do you think my space might work for such a set-up??? Currently, I work in a post-production sound studio. Our main mixing room is roughly 19' Long by 17' Wide. Our foley/effects room is something like 19' Long by 9' wide. I figure I won't be able to fit that kind of set-up in my smaller space (especially since I want a third space for office work), but that gives you some idea of how the mixing room and the foley room are related. I would prefer to have a foley room that is at least 7-8 foot wide, but it needn't be nearly 19' long, that's overkill. Thanks again!

Doni's on the right track - maybe this?? BTW this is a true 5:1 layout. cheers john

John, Thanks for the great design. It is greatly appreciated and I really like the layout. Only downside is that in order to reach the "client area" you have to walk through the studio, but I guess that's the price you pay in such a limited space, unless you know of a way around that. I also see that one door opens into the foley area and the other door opens into a small enclosure. Did you intend this small enclosure to function as a VO booth? Or is this just an small area of air before you get into the studio? Overall, do you think that the layout of the main mixing studio provides enough space to properly mix a 5.1 surround theatrical film? Are the dimensions good enough for this purpose? Overall, I'm just concerned that the studio may be a bit too small. What do you think. Is this enough room for 5.1 film and media mixing? Is there enough space for a nice screen and a nice set of speakers? Is the distance from the screen to the console adequate? Thanks!

well that's the official 5:1 speaker layout - the room is adequate in size IMO - it's actually a big control room by normal standards around here:) You could make it slightly wider if you wish but it will make the other rooms smaller. I realise you have to go through the control room - there's no other way unless you either shorten the control room by 3 feet and have a passageway down the side or you reverse the functions of the foley room and the office. cheers john

thanks john for the compliment