Project: Live Room Expansion & Isolation
Current Phase: Preliminary Design (architect and contractor committed)
The cellar level of our new triplex condo in NYC is the recording studio. We have decided to expand the live room of the studio, by converting the exterior sunken concrete patio into interior space, in full brick/mortar/steel/concrete construction. The plan is also to properly isolate the existing live room (which was never acoustically designed).
Luckily, we have no immediate neighbors in any adjoining walls, and we own the 2 living floors above, so the next neighbor is 3 floors up. On one side, there is no adjoining neighboring building to the live room, as there is just an access alley to the common yard stairs. On the other side, the live room cellar/foundation wall adjoins the neighboring building cellar/foundation wall.
The existing live room is under our exterior terrace, so no neighbors above. Similarly, the live room addition will simply extend the terrace overhead as well. (In contrast, the control room is fully inside the building, and is directly under our living room floor.)
I have been studying the literature to the extent time permits, including Mr. Gervais' excellent book, the construction sections on the Sayers forum, the various HUD, Department of Defense, and NRC documents, etc. Still, I only know enough to be dangerous at this point. So the expert advise of the Sayers of Truth herein (sorry) would be of supreme value and greatly appreciated.
GOALS
The priority is to maximally isolate sound transmission to neighbors, and at least substantially reduce transmission into the control room and our own home. The main transmission points of concern:
- adjoining wall to neighboring building
- operable window or skylights (to be constructed)
- structural transmission / flanking through our own building to upper floors
- airway transmission in existing construction and in new construction of addition
- bleed into control room via existing shared wall & divider doors (to be chosen or custom built), which also can bleed upstairs into our own home or out into the common basement area (and the one apartment which shares access to that basement area)
ISOLATION GOALS
- The most problematic instruments in the live drum would be acoustic drums (and possibly amplified electric bass)
- The isolation to the outside world (window, skylight, adjoining wall) should be as complete as possible within a reasonable budget, that is, beneath ambient noise level. I will acquire a proper noise meter to test better, but assuming drums peak around 115dB, and NYC ambient noise in the back yard area is 50dB or so, this is quite a sound reduction. Back yard is sunken with other buildings set back, with their windows own windows as a concern.
- The isolation through into the control room should be at least moderate, to minimize leakage of sound into the upper floors of the home, and to the common basement.
FLOOR
- The current floor is poured concrete on Manhattan earth (presumably not bedrock!). The existing live room also has a hollow hardwood floor built upon wood spacer beams.
- Existing floor: remove complete and expose concrete? Remove top deck, and fill with sand or insulation? Rebuilt completely with either neoprene isolation layer?
- How best to build the new floors in the new addition?
WALLS
- How best to frame/build the new support structure (framing), considering the concrete "bathtub" in which we are building?
- How to build the new interior walls? Steel studs and single drywall enough?
- The neighboring building is separated by the 2 respective concrete foundation walls. Can any sound still transmit through (drums? bass)?
- Considering additional wall of closets against that wall (pictured) to create an additional sound barrier and air space. Must the closets be air tight, or will solid core closet doors and perhaps seals (Zero) suffice?
- The 3 support columns of the building adjoin the live room. How to ensure that no vibration travels up? How to ensure that no airway cuts through? Must all the existing walls be torn out? The architect and contractor advise simply filling those existing wall spaces with foam. Again, we own the two floors above those columns, so the concern would mainly be that no sound travels up 3 floors.
CEILING
- Only our own terrace is above the existing live room, and will be extended over the new live room addition. This ceiling will be built with steel beams and concrete, then stone tiles on top for the patio. Any considerations in construction here to prevent sound transmission to the outside? Is
WINDOW
- NYC building code requires openable window. There is only one possible location for that window (see drawing). What is the best type of window for this? I assume a double window is necessary, with both windows openable. If necessary, some sort of shutter or plug could be used in addition for live sessions.
DOOR BETWEEN LIVE ROOM & CONTROL ROOM
- This should mainly just reduce live room sound transmission into the control room, and prevent it from bleeding too much into our upper floors and out into the common basement. I would prefer glass, to allow visual communication, and natural light into the control room.
- Best glass door design? Sliding? French doors? French with one panel fixed?
- My plan would be to start with a single door layer, and add a second layer with air gap is this does not provide enough reduction in transmission.
PATCH PANELS between LIVE ROOM & CONTROL ROOM
- I had previously intalled 6 4-gang patch panels (from RedCo), 3 on either side of the short thin (single wall) division between rooms (next to bathroom).
- That wall in its current form is only a single drywall on either side, and hollow inside. How best to re-construct, and to take care of the leakage which these wiring panels themselves produce?
SKYLIGHTS
- I know. This is asking for trouble. I can imagine all the eye rolls, dropped vodka glasses, and readers on the floor laughing.
- Nevertheless: Is it possible to include at least one skylight without compromising the isolation? It need not open. Presumably two glass panes of differing thickness separated by an airspace. My contractor advises against this idea, not for acoustic reasons, but claiming that I will curse him when the skylight begins to leak rain as he says they inevitably do.
- The more I consider this option, the less wise and reasonable it seems, especially considering a limited budget.
HEAT/COOLING/VENTILATION
- Planning a radiator system from the built-in heating system of the building, rather than the PTAC (through-wall) system used for the other building units, as those require through-wall construction.
- A/C will be mini split ductless system.
- Ventilation is a problem. The openable window will have to suffice, and will require constantly closing for music sessions and then periodically opening again on breaks.
LIGHTING
- planning track lighting throughout to minimize holes in the ceiling.
GENERAL
Any advice on these issues, as well as others I may have neglected, would be profoundly appreciated. We hope to contract and renovate properly the first time and avoid any possible errors.
The photos show the exterior and some of the space. The primitive drawing legend: green = new additions; red = removal/demolition.
Thank you for any guidance.
(P.S. I also had posted about this on the Recording Studio forum, but this post herein has more detailed information :
http://recording.org/index.php?threads/ ... nyc.56522/)
ZM
Live Room Expansion & Isolation (East Village, NYC USA)
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Zenon Marko
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:55 am
- Location: New York City, USA
- Contact:
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Zenon Marko
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2014 5:55 am
- Location: New York City, USA
- Contact:
Re: Live Room Expansion & Isolation (East Village, NYC USA)
P.S. I posted the plan without dimensions, for the purpose of clarity.
I can post a version with dimensions if so desired.
I can post a version with dimensions if so desired.