John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Hi John!

Wow you’ve done some work there getting this far! I’m afraid I’m less prepared to answer any questions but I’m watching with interest! When are you planning to make a start?

Hello & howdo' Purelythemusic ?
Thanks for your reply and interest. I'm planning to start building very soon - in fact as soon as I have my HVAC system correctly spec'ed. This has taken so long that I decided to enlist professional help (from a mutual acquaintance) and I should have all the information I need in the not too distant future. I have been reading your thread and that's quite some journey you're on! The design looks great and I hope the build progresses swiftly - onwards and upwards! Best wishes, John.

Hello again & happy New Year to all,
I've been working on re-designing the HVAC system for my studio design after some very helpful input. This includes eliminating wasted space in the wall cavities between the inner and outer leaves and repositioning the inner leaf silencers to the ceiling so that, on the input side they guide airflow directly into the AC unit.
The inner silencers will now replace eight 'inside out' ceiling modules (four on each side of the room) and while this lowers the ceiling height in the middle of the room, it allows for the inner leaf walls to be moved out slightly which will increase the floor area.
It was also suggested that I use 'inside out' modular panels for the inner leaf walls where possible as this will also increase the volume of the room and, if I understand this correctly, building the middle leaf ceiling below the existing rafters instead of above them to avoid the difficulty of building around the existing bracing.
It think the design is getting close to the point where I can actually start building - unless of course I'm missing something (or indeed several things)!

it allows for the inner leaf walls to be moved out slightly which will increase the floor area.

The one thing I see that looks incorrect is your union between your inner and outer boxes. Right now it appears to just be a solid wooden connection. This needs to be a flexible material otherwise there is a structural connection which defeats the purpose of having a room in a room.

if I understand this correctly, building the middle leaf ceiling below the existing rafters instead of above them to avoid the difficulty of building around the existing bracing.

This would be way easier for sure. But you have to make sure the gap between that leaf and your inner leaf is maintained according to your transmission loss calculation.

Good work!

Greg

Thanks for your reply and encouragement Greg. You quickly spotted that I have been too lazy to add the rectangular flexible duct connector that would prevent the union between the outer and inner becoming a flanking path (I will draw this in). I’m also currently figuring out how to balance the density of the materials in the inner and middle leaves in order to compensate for the reduced cavity. Specifically the practicality of using lead, as it as the advantage of possessing ‘limp mass’. Best wishes, John.

Specifically the practicality of using lead, as it as the advantage of possessing ‘limp mass’.

Steel (which is a lot cheaper) might even do the trick. Check out my Transmission Loss Calculator which is a sticky near the top of this Studio Design forum to help you quickly try out different materials and gap depths to see if you can use something affordable. Also consider dropping the silencers an inch or two? Either way, you seem to be on top of the problem and are dealing with it properly! Again, great work!!!

Greg

Thanks Greg - I'll do that.

I hope everyone is well, safe and not finding social distancing too much of a burden. I have been trying to offset the frustrations of various delays by re-examining my design; I think I finally understand how to make the ductless mini-split system work as well as it can in my room and I’ve also been writing a blog about my experience so far. It’s called “Building a studio - How hard can it be?” and is a work in progress (so may contain errors & omissions!!).

The penny finally dropped for me regarding HVAC after I read Greg's excellent post outlining the difference between forced air systems and ductless mini – split systems and the proportionate difference in airflow. So I re worked the numbers and re drew the silencers armed with the knowledge that they don’t have to be the monolithic items I’d planned to handle 70% more air volume than I really need. So far so good! It’s funny how long it takes for the blindingly obvious to occur (to me anyway) but the other big problem I faced with my first two designs was finding space for the inner leaf silencers. I intended to replace some of the ‘inside out’ ceiling modules I planned with the boxes but that would have meant lowering the (already low-ish) ceiling height in those parts of the room. Then it occurred to me that by raising the two joists nearest each gable by 30cm I could make plenty of space for them and simply contour the outer leaf around them. Maybe not the most productive use of lockdown time, but it feels like progress to me at least!

Awesome!!!!

Your drawings look so good and I'm so damned happy that it is all working out for you!

I hope everyone is well, safe and not finding social distancing too much of a burden.

My biggest problem is that I actually have time to do things like deck building and landscaping so my presence on the forum has suffered! We are alive and well and I hope everyone on your end is as well! Keep the updates coming my dude!

Greg

Cheers Greg! Man (or woman for that matter) can't live by decking and landscaping alone! - hope you're able to get back to your studio build soon. I'm going to look at the detail of my window and door design next and I also heard that it's now possible to order materials locally, so I'll be able to pick up my studio work again. Onwards and upwards!

Just wanted to pop in and say what an inspiring thread. I'm just starting my own studio building adventure at the moment, with a lot less knowledge and very poor Sketchup skills by comparison. Will be keeping tabs on this thread and the subsequent build for sure.

All the best!

Thanks for your encouragement Fred! Sketchup is a tough nut to crack - I'm still learning about it really, but one thing that it useful to know is to group things up and copy them and also to separate the various parts of your design into layers. Looking forward to reading your posts. ATB John.