Circle Studios Birmingham - studio build/refurb

Trev@Circle · 5th November 2008

It's been a long time coming but finally the story begins.

Here's the basic current layout (note I'm crap with sketchup):

Note the above is being completely ripped out. Here's the basic plan we are working to:

Watch this space...

johndykstra · 6th November 2008

I'd love to rotate around inside that model, can you post the actual file?

Trev@Circle · 9th November 2008

Sorry, no idea how to and I'd have to discuss with the designer first anyway.

Here's a few before photos:

and another:

Trev@Circle · 10th December 2008

The ripping out process begins:

And ends:

goldenlotus · 10th December 2008

Awesome, looks like a great space!

paul101 · 9th January 2009

Looking good. Will be great to have a quality studio in the Birmingham area.

Best of luck

Paul

Trev@Circle · 17th January 2009

Formwork for floating floor of main live room goes in:

Trev@Circle · 25th January 2009

A cool thing happened as we finalised the floating floor arrangements: we realised how we could free up and extra 3 feet of space (by removing the staircase up to the storage space and putting a circular one in the lounge). This gives us an extra 3 feet of space for the control room. Am very pleased! Reinforcement should be finished tomorrow. Concrete is being poured this Tuesday. Pics to follow.

Trev@Circle · 28th January 2009

Floats are down, DPC in place and metalwork almost complete:

Trev@Circle · 30th January 2009

Sooooo... long overdue but the concrete arrived today. Here's how it went:

1. We hoped the mixer would be abe to back all the way in (it just made it) but with a chute just short of 3 metres that would be a lot of work to shift 14 cubic metres of concrete so a chute of about another 2.5 metres was devised so we would at least get it dumped in the middle of the room:

2. From there on in it went pretty smoothly:

3. But sh*t there was a lot of it:

[this was the point I went to lunch and left the builders to it]

4. And this was how it looked when I got back...nice finish though:

badmark · 31st January 2009

Nice!

sonicdefault · 31st January 2009

Congrats and best wishes! You'll be able to do well with that amount of space. The loft area is interesting too- what do you plan to do with it... just storage?

-SD

Trev@Circle · 31st January 2009

Thanks guys. Four weeks estimated for the structure of the live room to be finished then we can start treating it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonicdefault

Congrats and best wishes! You'll be able to do well with that amount of space. The loft area is interesting too- what do you plan to do with it... just storage?
-SD

Lounge, playstation, foozball table.

sonicdefault · 31st January 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rimskidog

Thanks guys. Four weeks estimated for the structure of the live room to be finished then we can start treating it.

Lounge, playstation, foozball table.

Awesome! Are you planning on keeping it open... maybe some nice lighting?

OK! I admit! I'm vicariously imagining how that loft would look when gazing up from the lower recording area

-SD

Trev@Circle · 31st January 2009

Sadly not. That was in the original plan but due to the cost of the glass (and the demise of the Icelandic bank with my savings) we decided to pull it from the final build plan.

Trev@Circle · 8th February 2009

Man it's been a long 10days!

Builders should be back in this week to start on the blockwork!

More pics as the week unfolds!

sonicdefault · 9th February 2009

Great! Hang in there man. I know how it feels when the music seems so far a-w-a-y.

-SD

Northward · 9th February 2009

Nice project!

Just out of sheer curiosity, what did you float your floor with?

May I ask who the designer is?

Trev@Circle · 9th February 2009

Max hodges is the designer. Can't remember the name of the stuff used to float the floor. Essentially a form of rubber mat made for the purpose by a UK acoustics company. I think Max is a semi- regular lurker so I'll leave him to fill in techy details. Feel free to pm me any whizzy ideas! ;-)

Soundseed · 10th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rimskidog

Max hodges is the designer. Can't remember the name of the stuff used to float the floor. Essentially a form of rubber mat made for the purpose by a UK acoustics company. I think Max is a semi- regular lurker so I'll leave him to fill in techy details. Feel free to pm me any whizzy ideas! ;-)

I'd be interested to know if underfloor heating was considered for the floating floor? Lower cost to heat your room in a very even and pleasant manner, plus no acoustic issues with radiators... or is there an inherent problem using underfloor heating with floating floors?

Cheers
Chris

Trev@Circle · 10th February 2009

Underfloor heating was an option but we decided to lay 4 inches of wood on top of the concrete so was quickly dismissed. We decided to go the hvac route for heating and cooling.

sweetmojo · 11th February 2009

Why the wood on top of the concrete? Aesthetic or acoustics reasons?

Trev@Circle · 11th February 2009

Re-arrange the words in this well known sentence:

"Can worms question your is a"

Take a look in the thread on cathedral ceilings to understand:

johndykstra · 11th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetmojo

Why the wood on top of the concrete? Aesthetic or acoustics reasons?

Cathedral vs flat ceiling

johndykstra · 11th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rimskidog

Re-arrange the words in this well known sentence:

"Can worms question your is a"

Take a look in the thread on cathedral ceilings to understand:

haha!

beat me to it!

Trev@Circle · 11th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by dykstraster@gmai

haha!

beat me to it!

Indeed. Please let's not take my studio thread in that particular direction...

sweetmojo · 11th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rimskidog

Indeed. Please let's not take my studio thread in that particular direction...

Ha ha!!! Indeed! Alright, question withdrawn, but wasn't trying to be argumentative or start a new mess!!! I was just curious about your choice, that's all.

Trev@Circle · 14th February 2009

After a pain in the butt week the first load of concrete blocks and a couple of tons of sand and cement arrived on Friday:

Cold Jazz · 15th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by rimskidog

After a pain in the butt week the first load of concrete blocks and a couple of tons of sand and cement arrived on Friday:

Sweet!

But I hope you have a ladder close in case of a fire!

johndykstra · 17th February 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Jazz

Sweet!

But I hope you have a ladder close in case of a fire!

Got a good chuckle out of that.

5th November 2008	#1
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Circle Studios Birmingham - studio build/refurb It's been a long time coming but finally the story begins. Here's the basic current layout (note I'm crap with sketchup): Note the above is being completely ripped out. Here's the basic plan we are working to: Watch this space... __________________ ......................................................................... www.recordingstudiosbirmingham.co.uk www.circlestudios.co.uk My studio refurb picture blog can be found here: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/photo...ld-refurb.html

6th November 2008	#2
johndykstra Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Midwest Posts: 4,393	I'd love to rotate around inside that model, can you post the actual file? __________________ phantom power doesn't make your voice sound spooky MY BAND http://www.revisiontext.com/ OUR STUDIO & POLY Diffuser Build http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-...i-y-polys.html New control room thread! http://www.gearslutz.com/board/studi...walls-etc.html

31st January 2009	#12
sonicdefault Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: USA Posts: 2,426 2 Reviews written	Congrats and best wishes! You'll be able to do well with that amount of space. The loft area is interesting too- what do you plan to do with it... just storage? -SD __________________ ...My goal for many, many years was to obtain a beautiful API desk and be buried with it when I die... vin-gear ...My 57 is only a few years old, but I'd like to think that someday my children can pass it down to their children. Killahurts ...I would much rather tweak a moog than that thing bro... MYAMS

9th February 2009	#18
Northward Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bit everywhere. Posts: 166	Nice project! Just out of sheer curiosity, what did you float your floor with? May I ask who the designer is? __________________ Thomas Jouanjean Northward Acoustics - Engineering & Design Northward on Facebook http://http://prorecordingworkshop.lefora.com/ Pro Audio Partners: ATC Professional Loudspeakers

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9th November 2008	#3
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Sorry, no idea how to and I'd have to discuss with the designer first anyway. Here's a few before photos: and another:

10th December 2008	#4
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	The ripping out process begins: And ends:

10th December 2008	#5
goldenlotus Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 1,132	Awesome, looks like a great space!

9th January 2009	#6
paul101 Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Dudley, UK Posts: 172	Looking good. Will be great to have a quality studio in the Birmingham area. Best of luck Paul

17th January 2009	#7
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Formwork for floating floor of main live room goes in:

25th January 2009	#8
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	A cool thing happened as we finalised the floating floor arrangements: we realised how we could free up and extra 3 feet of space (by removing the staircase up to the storage space and putting a circular one in the lounge). This gives us an extra 3 feet of space for the control room. Am very pleased! Reinforcement should be finished tomorrow. Concrete is being poured this Tuesday. Pics to follow.

28th January 2009	#9
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Floats are down, DPC in place and metalwork almost complete:

30th January 2009	#10
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Sooooo... long overdue but the concrete arrived today. Here's how it went: 1. We hoped the mixer would be abe to back all the way in (it just made it) but with a chute just short of 3 metres that would be a lot of work to shift 14 cubic metres of concrete so a chute of about another 2.5 metres was devised so we would at least get it dumped in the middle of the room: 2. From there on in it went pretty smoothly: 3. But sh*t there was a lot of it: [this was the point I went to lunch and left the builders to it] 4. And this was how it looked when I got back...nice finish though:

31st January 2009	#11
badmark Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 999	Nice!

8th February 2009	#16
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Man it's been a long 10days! Builders should be back in this week to start on the blockwork! More pics as the week unfolds!

10th February 2009	#21
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	Underfloor heating was an option but we decided to lay 4 inches of wood on top of the concrete so was quickly dismissed. We decided to go the hvac route for heating and cooling.

11th February 2009	#22
sweetmojo Gear maniac Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The City of Angels Posts: 172	Why the wood on top of the concrete? Aesthetic or acoustics reasons?

14th February 2009	#28
Trev@Circle Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,874 Thread Starter	After a pain in the butt week the first load of concrete blocks and a couple of tons of sand and cement arrived on Friday:

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