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My New Studio Build (perhaps overly detailed)

#581
I thought that this document might be of interest to anyone planning a studio build. It presents some of the basics and highlights the complexity of the task. So much to consider. There are some good links provided at the end.

Acoustics 101 - Auralex Acoustics

Also of interest: Rigid fiberglass density tests. I like to avoid fiberglass unless it's sealed. The ultra-touch denim batting is more user friendly.
 
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#582
Final site inspection has been delayed until the 28th. My building guy is on vacation until then. I could file for it myself, but I'm not in a terrible hurry given that I won't be doing much on the building for a while anyway. In the meantime I've got my electrician coming over on Saturday afternoon to prepare a quote.

Also, the HVAC quote for the two mini splits never came through. I called the contractor yesterday and they weren't sure why nothing got sent over. They're going to sort it out and get the quote over to me as soon as possible. I expect both this and the electrical quote to be expensive, so I'm not looking forward to them, haha.
 
#583
Electrician delayed things until tomorrow. HVAC quote is still in limbo. In related news: Humans are largely unreliable it would seem.

I'm getting closer on the overall HVAC design. I've enlisted the help of the John Sayer forums, which is dedicated to studio building and has some very knowledgeable folks. The two mini splits idea is getting more and more complicated because of some factors that were basically unknown to me in terms of what's allowable by code and waht's good for keeping people working in the space happy, namely me. I'm going to have to do some serious re-design of the whole thing to get this to work properly. Stay tuned for some design updates in the coming weeks.
 
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#584
silky smoove said:
Electrician delayed things until tomorrow. HVAC quote is still in limbo. In related news: Humans are largely unreliable it would seem.

I'm getting closer on the overall HVAC design. I've enlisted the help of the John Sayer forums, which is dedicated to studio building and has some very knowledgeable folks. The two mini splits idea is getting more and more complicated because of some factors that were basically unknown to me in terms of what's allowable by code and waht's good for keeping people working in the space happy, namely me. I'm going to have to do some serious re-design of the whole thing to get this to work properly. Stay tuned for some design updates in the coming weeks.
Click to expand...
Noooooo!
 
#586
It's cool. Rod Gervais always says that a good studio is 90% design and 10% execution. I'm doing the 90% portion as actively as possible.

In terms of the HVAC complications; It's really just a factor of me having zero HVAC experience and local contractors not understanding the notion of air tight construction and how that relates to fresh air supply and stale, funky drummer fart exhaust.
 
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#587
HVAC is very difficult to deal with. Dehumidification and humidification is an added complication that is too often treated as an afterthought.

I think that it's a lot easier with a bigger studio. A larger space between the walls allows you to run larger ducts that can help minimize the sound of air flow. You can have silencer boxes inline that acted like mufflers, there is also a sound damping duct pastes and liquids that dry after being applied. Ducts are best decoupled from the walls. Limited space behind the walls and above the ceiling create a lot of challenges. Costs have a way of getting out of hand fast.

I was looking at a new round flexible acoustical duct that looked very interesting. This type of technology is worth considering. There are always more modern and efficient solutions available.

I've found that you don't have to strive for perfection at every stage, design involves a lot of tradeoffs and second guessing comes with that. It helps to carefully think things through but overthinking can lead to going in circles. Small gains can cost a lot more and aren't always the best way to go. Deciding if it's worth it is often heavily influenced by the budget. In that respect a budget can be a good thing.

Yikes! You have some tough decisions ahead of you.
 
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#592
My current thought process:

dishwasher_lady.png
 
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#595
Now I'm stepping back and thinking about needs versus ideals. Here in Seattle, as my local compatriot @Marial can attest to, most folks don't have air conditioning in their homes. It's largely not needed. It would be nice to have on about 10-days out of a given year, but the other 345 it's largely not necessary. I'm now wondering if a HEAVILY insulated structure in Seattle actually needs air conditioning, or if it can get by comfortably with only a heat source for the colder months, and a way to exchange the internal stale air with external fresh air sufficiently to meet code and not smell like an old band van. Sure it wouldn't be ideal, but it would keep costs down to the point where they're feasible.

The quote was so far beyond what I was expecting that it's forcing me to re-think things in a serious way. I've verified with some folks that the quote is actually not far off of realistic. I could cut it down by eliminating the storage vestibule and only needing a single interior unit. I could also possibly go with some lower spec units (they might be noisier, sized smaller so they have to run more frequently/intensely, or possibly both) as well. That said, I don't see these things as keeping costs down far enough. I was expecting to spend another $15,000-20,000 to finish this job. With the current HVAC quote I'm now just over $30,000. At that level I'd be getting into home equity line of credit territory, or possibly setting up my studio as a proper business (i.e. not an "under the table" outfit") and securing a small business loan. Either route is scary, and hopefully I can mitigate that by what I described in my first paragraph.

Let's see what code and some HVAC experts have to say about my no-AC approach. In a sealed up, as-close-to-airtight-as-possible, no windows, door closed environment it might not even be feasible. We'll see...
 
#596
silky smoove said:
Now I'm stepping back and thinking about needs versus ideals. Here in Seattle, as my local compatriot @Marial can attest to, most folks don't have air conditioning in their homes. It's largely not needed. It would be nice to have on about 10-days out of a given year, but the other 345 it's largely not necessary. I'm now wondering if a HEAVILY insulated structure in Seattle actually needs air conditioning, or if it can get by comfortably with only a heat source for the colder months, and a way to exchange the internal stale air with external fresh air sufficiently to meet code and not smell like an old band van. Sure it wouldn't be ideal, but it would keep costs down to the point where they're feasible.

The quote was so far beyond what I was expecting that it's forcing me to re-think things in a serious way. I've verified with some folks that the quote is actually not far off of realistic. I could cut it down by eliminating the storage vestibule and only needing a single interior unit. I could also possibly go with some lower spec units (they might be noisier, sized smaller so they have to run more frequently/intensely, or possibly both) as well. That said, I don't see these things as keeping costs down far enough. I was expecting to spend another $15,000-20,000 to finish this job. With the current HVAC quote I'm now just over $30,000. At that level I'd be getting into home equity line of credit territory, or possibly setting up my studio as a proper business (i.e. not an "under the table" outfit") and securing a small business loan. Either route is scary, and hopefully I can mitigate that by what I described in my first paragraph.

Let's see what code and some HVAC experts have to say about my no-AC approach. In a sealed up, as-close-to-airtight-as-possible, no windows, door closed environment it might not even be feasible. We'll see...
Click to expand...

Is there an option of finishing without A/C, but keeping the ability to add it down the line? I'm guessing you've already thought of that ... but it's a bummer to hear the recent update.
 
#599
Luke19Boarder said:
Is there an option of finishing without A/C, but keeping the ability to add it down the line? I'm guessing you've already thought of that ... but it's a bummer to hear the recent update.
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Yes, it could be added later, but not without significant effort.

peterpalmieri said:
I'm not sure I understand the problem. Why can't you get a ductless mini split. Turn it off during critical recording. Do all the prep and finish it when the inspectors are long gone.
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That's what was included in the quote. Two ductless mini splits (one for the main room, one tiny one for the vestibule/storage area), the associated outdoor condenser unit, fresh air ventilation (supply and return)... $13,000.

Marial said:
Things can heat up quick.... what a conundrum.
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Agreed. That said, my house which was built in 1947 and seems reasonably well insulated stays cool enough through the summer. This structure would be substantially more energy efficient in terms of both air transfer and heat transfer. In theory it should do an even better job. That's what's making me think this would be doable without the AC component.
 

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