My studios construction has started!!!!!

[Duffster]

Well, I haven´t posted any updates in a while due to the lack of interesting photos. The project is going well now. All my problems with government and etc seem to be solved and now I am trying to coordinate all the electricians, plumbers, floor, concrete... and everything else which is a nightmare because of the relaxed and always late manner in which Brasilians work. This coming month I will put in the air conditioning system, treated concrete floors, floating floors, plumbing, electrical, windows, doors, and all the other little details. The projects completion has been pushed back to the the end of Febuary, but the good news is that the first client enters in April, and I am alredy booked solid for 3 months.

[natpub]

Wow, congratulations, this is very good to hear!!

[Sqye]

Good for you, man. Lots of luck in completion. Can't wait to see the finished product

[jayfrigo]

Originally Posted by Duffster

All my problems with government and etc seem to be solved and now I am trying to coordinate all the electricians, plumbers, floor, concrete... and everything else which is a nightmare because of the relaxed and always late manner in which Brasilians work.
SNIP
but the good news is that the first client enters in April, and I am alredy booked solid for 3 months.

I feel your pain, having been seemingly involved with construction of one sort of another for years now. Things just keep needing to get built around me! The designing is so much fun; the construction often is less so, but it's exciting as it takes shape. I'm sure we all look forward to seeing it, and congratulations on the advance bookings.

[Duffster]

Well, The air conditioning holes are finally getting made, the studio walls are complete, the parking lot is complete, the electrical is being installed, the plumbing is going in, and after x-mas come the floating floors, the treated concrete floors and everything else will start.

[Duffster]

The floating floors were installed today!!!. This was incredibly cool to watch, and in five days the liquid will harden and I can start building the studio. The electrical has been started and the acoustic designer has everything ready for the studios acoustic construction to get started. Isolated floors will be placed in the other two studios and the treated concrete floors will come in two weeks if things work out.

[Duffster]

Lunch time at the studio. Brasilians most definately some of the most lazy people in the world. If these guys aren´t working, they are sleeping the back yard.
Lunch = beans, rice, and bedtime. I have about 6 dudes who live at the construction site. This is what sunday looks too, but with lots of empty beer.

[Kawriver]

Duffster
That is histerical but not unexpected. I was involved in a construction project in Belize and if the interested party wasn't working on it constantly with the help it would have taken a year instead of the 6 months it did take. What a great time you will have when its completed. Good luck and keep the updates and pictures coming. Those guys look like the guys I work with except they are all 40 pounds overweight.

[Cosmonauta]

My studio is in a residential area in sp too... When the neighbours saw the truck bringing all those wierd materials... I tell then that music is my weekend hobby (wich is a complete lie) and those materials was just to make sure I will not ever bother them with noise.
So they said: "Ah, good luck with your hobby and thx for invest in the acoustic isolation".

They don't even know that I run session heres 24/7 and that's how I feed my family.

Good luck with your studio bro!!

By the way... I'm now bulding a small warehouse to keep my instruments and I'm facing the same delay problems...

[Duffster]

Well, the floating floors have dried and already proved their worth. A worker was using a sledge hammer on the concrete floor about five feet from me and I couldn´t feel a thing. This week the air conditioning units go in, after that the burnt concrete floors, and the acoustics on the studio start. I am hoping that all will be ready in about a month and a half. The studio will actually be working before the rest of the bulding is done.

[stevep]

Duffster Well, the floating floors have dried and already proved their worth. A worker was using a sledge hammer on the concrete floor about five feet from me and I couldn´t feel a thing. This week the air conditioning units go in, after that the burnt concrete floors, and the acoustics on the studio start. I am hoping that all will be ready in about a month and a half. The studio will actually be working before the rest of the bulding is done.

WOW im over 5 months into my build
and still a long ways to go...........

[tomwehrle]

Originally Posted by Duffster

...everything else which is a nightmare because of the relaxed and always late manner in which Brasilians work.

haha, I've been to brasil before, and yeah, that pretty much sums it up, I know a guy who could have come to the states to go to college for free at a 20k/year school for free, but didnt ever send in the paper work for it to finally go through...guess he didnt care to much to come, but, i think it was mainly cause the way people live down there, like you mentioned above...not to diss it or anything...

[djui5]

Originally Posted by Duffster

Well, the floating floors have dried and already proved their worth. A worker was using a sledge hammer on the concrete floor about five feet from me and I couldn´t feel a thing.

What is that? That's the craziest looking thing I've ever seen! Can we get that here in the states?

[aetucker1]

could you explain that floating floor? i have never seen such a thing and i have spent TONS of time researching studio builds.

[Jesse Miller]

Yes. Please more info on the floating floor. I have also been doing reasearch for our new rooms and am very interisted in the product you are using.

[Duffster]

I am not sure about the availability of this product in the states. According their web site they are the only carrier of this product outside of Europe. The website is www.werden.com.br... not much use if you can´t read portuguese. The company is called Werden, german I believe.
The frame of the floor is made out of a PVC material. Each one of the legs sits on a rubber isolation pack. After the frame is sealed and isolated from the walls by isopreme, a rubber cement material is poored in and leveled. The arch of the floot is 13 cm, and with the filling the floors stand roughly 18 cm. After the application of the rubber, a sponge material is placed on top to provide further osolation and protection. The floors give the room both thermil, and acoustic isolation.

[Duffster]

Architect just sent me the designs for the desk in the control room. See what you think... if you have any ideas or see potential problems please tell me.

[deft_bonz]

Looks very tasty

I'd suggest some angeled 19" racks at the left or right or both sides from the mixing desk. This way you could have the most important (most beloved thus most used) gear right at your hands and you wouldn't have to turn around every time.

[Duffster]

Well, the studio walls are finally going up!!!! I was so excited last night i could hardly sleep. The special concrete floors are almost done, and the all the electrical conduit is done. This coming week the concrete will be shaved, and glossed, and the studio walls should be nearing completion. Saturday I will purchase the wooden floors, and today I purchased all of the lights. This week has been "FODA".... but it is finally coming together.

[Duffster]

here are the CG images of what the front and back of the studio will look like. I am placing a huge metal grill on the front of the studio for looks and security.

[Jonboy79]

Your budget must be incredible. I can't imagine how much a floor like that would cost in the states. Looks very freakin cool dude.

[joaquin]

Muchas Felicidadez Duffter!! Your Studio is going to Rock!!

[Duffster]

Originally Posted by Jonboy79

Your budget must be incredible. I can't imagine how much a floor like that would cost in the states. Looks very freakin cool dude.

The floor was actually very cheap.... and they gave me a huge discount because it was their first real recording studio. The whole thing probably costed around $1500 US.

[The MPCist]

The grill on the front of the studio, that is a great idea! Gotta remember that for the future.....

Question:

I'm not much of a construction person so there's something that I'm really curious about. I noticed in the beginning pics that you knocked out some of the ceiling areas (or 2nd level's floor). Did you just 'rebuild' the concrete ceiling like that? I mean, how do you 'hook up' the new concrete ceiling to the existing concret sides? Do the 'rebar' need to be intwined or something?

The reason for asking is cuz I'm thinking of 'extending the floor' for a new studio... I'd like to extend the area where part of the stairway (concrete) is, thus making it a square.

Haven't talked to any contractors yet since I'm still in the planning stage (actually still negotiating the price of the place) so I thought I'd ask here and see....

[Duffster]

Originally Posted by The MPCist

The grill on the front of the studio, that is a great idea! Gotta remember that for the future.....

Question:

I'm not much of a construction person so there's something that I'm really curious about. I noticed in the beginning pics that you knocked out some of the ceiling areas (or 2nd level's floor). Did you just 'rebuild' the concrete ceiling like that? I mean, how do you 'hook up' the new concrete ceiling to the existing concret sides? Do the 'rebar' need to be intwined or something?

The reason for asking is cuz I'm thinking of 'extending the floor' for a new studio... I'd like to extend the area where part of the stairway (concrete) is, thus making it a square.

Haven't talked to any contractors yet since I'm still in the planning stage (actually still negotiating the price of the place) so I thought I'd ask here and see....

Well, we just destroyed the ceiling, raised the walls a meter, and extended excisting support collums. I then bought ready made framming. We then placed the framing and poured the concrete. It was simple, fast, and made my roof about 100 times stronger.

[stevep]

Nice work so far

How many Square feet is your studio ?



steve

[Duffster]

The whole facility is roughly 400 square meters. It is a 3 story building. The studio also includes two rehearsal studios, a game room, kitchen, meeting room, reception, private parking....etc. It will be very cool!

[Duffster]

Well, last week was great, and this weel sucked majorly. First off, the A/C people came to install the rest of the system. This sounds great and all but the tech who is installing decided to ignore the designs done by the acoustic engineer. He fabricated all of his own parts and attempted to install square boxes into round holes . He said he would fill the HUGE gapes with something.... he wasn´t sure yet. They are in a rush, so they also decided to install none of the support beams that prevent vibration... even though I paid for them.
Besides that, they started to hammer into the conrete ceiling, destroying hours of work so that their "custom fit" boxes would fit into the round holes. After two days of battling with the A/C company they are finally going to fabricate the parts that were meant to be done in the first place. This will delay everything one more week... maybe two.

[Duffster]

Well, the A/C people have been slowly resolving their end while trying to screw-up other things in the process. The owner finally came, and after seeing what had been done he apologized and "promised" to fix everything... lets see if that actually happens. Atleast they got most of the connections done. On the other side of things the concrete floots are installed and being shaved this week. Studio walls were all delayed because of the A/C problems... and that will continue to be delayed until all of the correct parts are fabricated... and my other condenser arrives. We also poured the rehearsal studio floors which concsist of: 3 cm foam, Support grid, Radio/cell isolation grid, and Concrete.

[(DC)]

Looks great man... where in Brazil are you setting up your studio? I was born near Sao Paulo.... also how do you plan on communicating with little knowledge of Portuguese.