Studio Layout/Design

[AndyThe1st]

Howdy experts! I am looking for some advise, as I am relatively new to this whole realm. That said, I have been scouring forums, YouTube, and Rod Gervais' book to attempt to educate myself!

I am a performer (solo and band), teacher, sound engineer (mostly live events but have done more and more recording eng and mixing etc. recently) and event producer. I am looking to design a space that will fulfill as many of my needs as possible, including storage of road gear, rehearsing, teaching, and recording. It must include an ADA bathroom.

I have, up until this point, worked out of a modest single-room home studio. I have now been given an opportunity to use and occupy my own remote space that will be part of a mixed-use condo project repurposing a 110-year-old vacated stone bank. The proposed music studio area within this building is the split-level 1st floor (left side of drawing is sub-level, below Main St. of a small town, under the bank entrance, graded down to where the covered entry is.) The usable area is highlighted. The exterior walls can't be altered, and the left side of the proposed control room is the old vault, which will remain. Right now this floor is completely demoed but no construction has begun. The other half of the floor, and the upper level, are yet undetermined commercial units.

The cost of construction of this space, and the necessary sound isolation measures that need to be taken, are being generously covered by a relative who is also buying a residential unit in the same development, to eventually move into. I am on the hook, however, for outfitting the space with equipment and whatever acoustic treatment is necessary after it's built. The developer and architect sent this draft, and have reviewed with an acoustic engineer on hire to ensure sound isolation needs are met. I am not sure how much recording studio-specific knowledge the consultant has, and will endeavor to find out and communicate more. I have asked some questions which have not yet gotten clear responses, such as the final ceiling height, whether or not I can re-orient or move the bathroom, whether I can plug the one existing window that's in the bathroom (the outside must retain it's look for historic preservation).

I am trying to collect advise and feedback about whether I will be able to make the control room, specifically, function successfully. What worries me is asymmetry, LOS and how I would orient monitors and desk. I have been planning, regardless of final design, on extensive acoustic treatment, as I'm sure I'll need it given how thick and dense the walls are. My budget for this I'd say is $5-10k, could maybe go higher depending on diminishing returns beyond this. I may be able to influence some changes in the design at this stage still, and I want to get it right before I'm 'locked in'. Maybe I should try to seek another consultant?

Any help/advise would be appreciated!

[gullfo]

depending on expectations, $5-10K will be hard pressed to deliver more than some simple dividing walls and basic acoustic treatments. definitely plan on squaring the control room corner and leaving the air lock space for the closet and bathroom - noise and smells - and focus on the CR and live room dividing walls (2) to maximize the isolation there. good quality exterior grade entry doors + seals (pre-hung may be something in budget).

[AndyThe1st]

Thank you for the quick response!

The high stc glass and doors have already been discussed with the ‘team’ and are included in original budget (not from my pocket yay!) Im definitely able to expand that budget but again, for my purposes, at least upfront, Im not chasing the limits of diminishing returns.

I am uploading a couple sketches that I plan to send along to see what they think. Am I right in assuming orienting with the desk facing the right wall will yield the best result for symmetry, even though the speakers are firing the shorter dimension? (I am not sure I’ll be able to move the doorway down like I did to make this work). Any thoughts on the whole LEDE vs. EES thing? I am attempting to read more into it but the math is beyond me ;(

[gullfo]

the middle one looks good.