Want to build detached studio, but severely restricted...

[vanKloot]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and while I believe I've met the basic requirement of at least putting my location (Sunnyvale California USA) in my profile, if I've missed anything else please let me know.

I'm really at the very beginning stages, and I'm afraid my dream is being crushed before I even get a chance to start. I've had a home studio of some form or another for decades, but have decided it's time to "do it right" and build myself something dedicated and detached from the house. We have a backyard with one spot in the corner that is suitable.

Sounds good right? Here's the rub... the space is about 12' square, and I need to leave a little room around the fence so I'm stuck with no more than about a 10' square building, max. The kicker is that my city requires a good sized setback if the structure is more than 8' high from the ground to the highest point! So I'm basically stuck with a 10x10 box, with low ceilings. Yikes! Good thing I'm not super tall (5'9")!

My application is electronic music production and mixing. Rarely if any live recording and even then it would just probably be a vocalist. I don't monitor loud, but would like something acoustically treated as well as possible given the absurdly small size. Might need AC as well since I'm guessing it'll get exceedingly warm in there with the equipment on.

So, am I just dead in the water here? Is this feasible at all? Anyone done anything like this with such tight restrictions? I really have no option but to make this space work, or give up on the whole idea.

Thanks for reading!

[Soundman2020]

Hi there "vanKloot"

The kicker is that my city requires a good sized setback if the structure is more than 8' high from the ground to the highest point!

So make it less than 8' high on the outside, but as high as you want on the inside! (Talk to Dr. Who about that... )

What I mean is: dig! Excavate down a couple of feet, such that your final finished floor is lower than ground level, then you can have the building less than 8 feet high above ground level, while still having a ten foot ceiling on the inside, and NOT being subject to the size limits for buildings that are taller than 8 feet.

This issue comes up every now and then. I've designed a couple of studios like that, mostly for folks in the UK, where there's a similar legal limit on height.

The "height" of the building refers to the height above "grade", which is the original level of the ground before you built anything on it.

Might need AC as well since I'm guessing it'll get exceedingly warm in there with the equipment on.

You WILL need HVAC! It's not a "might": Its a "must". No options here. Because of the way studios are built (completely sealed, air-tight, totally hermetic, twice over), you absolutely do need a complete HVAC system, not just an air conditioner.

- Stuart -

[vanKloot]

Hah!!! So I'm not COMPLETELY crazy after all. your dig idea is exactly what hit me earlier today... I've even left a message with the city asking about it, as well as asking if I could just plain build it as a 2-story structure with a basement. That would be AMAZING... to have the studio below ground, and a nice comfy "sun room" above... oh man. Talk about a dream come true. I'm definitely investigating this angle, glad to hear someone has done it before for this very reason!

OK HVAC is a must. Frankly I knew that but was trying to convince myself maybe there was some way to go without it.

On that note actually... we have central air for the house, though we don't run it often since in California we only need it occasionally in the summer. Is there any aspect of that system that could help here? I'm guessing not since I can't imagine there's any way to run the condenser (which is already in the back yard) for my studio but not the house at times... but I'm no HVAC wizard so, why not ask!

Thanks!

[Soundman2020]

as well as asking if I could just plain build it as a 2-story structure with a basement.

That should be possible, I hope! CA has some strange regulations, though, so hopefully there's no weirdness on outbuildings not being allowed to have basements. Sometimes politicians com up with crazy stuff that nobody understands...

That would be AMAZING... to have the studio below ground, and a nice comfy "sun room" above... oh man.

The only downside is that it would be more expensive to build, but if cost is not too much of an issue, then it could be great!

we have central air for the house, though we don't run it often since in California we only need it occasionally in the summer. Is there any aspect of that system that could help here? I'm guessing not since I can't imagine there's any way to run the condenser (which is already in the back yard) for my studio but not the house at times... but I'm no HVAC wizard so, why not ask!

I think you mean "compressor", not condenser. The condenser is the indoor unit, inside your HVAC system. The "compressor" is the outdoor unit, sometimes also called a "heat pump".

Some compressors do allow for multiple condensers. Not many, but there's a few that do. However, it would need to be the correct size (capacity) for your studio, which is doubtful. Find out what make/model of compressor you have, and check the specs to see if it supports additional units, and if so what capacity. You'd probably need to get an HVAC contractor to take a look at it, and make sure it is feasible.

It's probably easier to just buy a complete mini-split system, dedicate for your studio. As a percentage of the total cost of an excavated "ground up" build, it's just a small fraction.

That said, the mini-split system itself is only a small part of the HVAC system: the other part is the "V" in HVAC... = "ventilation". That's a rather bigger issue, that needs a lot of careful planning!


- Stuart -

[vanKloot]

Huh interesting... I've always called that big box in the backyard the condenser, and have always heard it called that as well. Maybe it's one of those incorrect terms that just kinda stuck! Anyway, good to clarify, thanks!

At the moment sadly, the whole project is not looking likely. After discussing things at length with my other half, we concluded that the small area which is the only sensible place to even contemplate putting a studio, is just too important to her for gardening, and also the reality of building there would have to tear up other areas of the yard which wouldn't be acceptable. So, backyard is out.

We've begun looking into what it would take to actually build a small basement under the house. Turns out it's actually possible and in fact has become very popular here in Silicon Valley due to the costs & restrictions of building up or out. Unfortunately, that too is looking to be out of reach financially speaking. Perhaps that will change at some point, but for now anyway... looks like the dream is dead. Or at least hibernating.

I suspect I may just need to stick with my bedroom studio a good while longer. So maybe I'll instead invest in actually doing the room up. It's a 10' square box with zero acoustic treatment and loads of less-than-ideal things in it (huge whiteboards on the walls, wood floors, flat ceiling, parallel everything, big window on one wall, etc.) But I'm sure someone with the right knowledge could find a way to at least drastically improve it, even if it will never be an ideal studio space.

Greatly appreciate your input Stuart, will see what happens throughout the year, perhaps this project will awaken refreshed and ready to rock!

[Soundman2020]

is just too important to her for gardening,

On the other hand, you could give her a whole new opportunity for gardening, by designing your studio with a "green roof": the entire roof area becomes a garden.... I designed a place like that for a customer in Wales several years ago.

But I'm sure someone with the right knowledge could find a way to at least drastically improve it, even if it will never be an ideal studio space.

Yup, I guess there are people like that around here some place

10 x 10 is small, certainly, but still feasible. It's right on the edge, though... I'm working on one right now that is 97.5 ft2, and it's getting reasonably good. It's not so easy to make such a small room usable as a control room, and it won't be great, but it can still be pretty darn good. Here's a comment from that 97 ft2 customer, part way through the build: "I finally got all the lower mini hangers in, and also the 703 in the top section in. Wow these hangers are amazing. I have never put a bass trap in and had such a noticeable change in the room." We have advanced even further since then, and he's happy. So it can be done, but it takes time and careful design, and careful building.

So if that's the only space you have right now, then it sure is better than no space at all, and it CAN be made workable as a control room. Don't give up on it!

- Stuart -

[BruceMay]

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