Circle Studios refurb

[Rimskidog]

Thought you guys might be interested in seeing my studio refurb in progress:

Here's the original layout of the studio:



Here's where it's headed:


But here's a couple of 'before' pictures:



This is a view from the back door (if you look on the concept drawing below this is facing from the store in the top corner of the control room).

And here's one with my son in it to give you a sense of scale (he's about 40 feet from me):



This next one isn't very clear but is one from the current control room (which will become the lounge) looking through live room 1 to the big room at the back (you can see the drum booth through the window to the left:

Edited May 24, 2009 by Rimskidog

[slaphappygarry]

Been following this on the otherside.

Go on, get the rest up.

[Rimskidog]

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='494813' date='May 22 2009, 12:37 AM']Been following this on the otherside.

Go on, get the rest up.[/quote]

Go on then... you persuaded me...

First, the ripping out process begins:



And then ends:

[Rimskidog]

Then, the formwork for floating floor in the main liveroom goes in:







(no prizes for spotting the 'deliberate' mistake)

Edited May 22, 2009 by Rimskidog

[Rimskidog]

Here, tloats are down, DPC in place and metalwork almost completed (a week over schedule already and no concrete yet):

[Rimskidog]

Then, long overdue but the concrete arrived. 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:

[Rimskidog]

And then, after a pain in the butt week, the first load of concrete blocks and a couple of tons of sand and cement arrived:

[51m0n]

Subscribed:-

I want to see how this goes down

Looks great so far.

[Rimskidog]

Good to have you onboard!

Walls start to appear. Here's a view from where the new control room will be:



And one from the aircon chimney position:

[Rimskidog]

This will give you some idea of the airgap between the outer and inner shell. This, and the enormous mass off the inner walls, is designed to make sure that absolutely no external noise can make it onto a recording.

In essence the airgap is a minimum of 200mm at its narrowest point.Here's the view down the airgap when you walk into the main room from the kitchen and look right:



Here's one from the aircon chimney:



*If you look carefully you can see the snakes running into the makeshift control room

And here's one from the storeroom off the new control room:

[51m0n]

Nice job!

Is it all your own design??

[Rimskidog]

[quote name='51m0n' post='496361' date='May 23 2009, 10:10 PM']Nice job!

Is it all your own design??[/quote]

I wish (as that would have saved me a fortune! ) Max Hodges is the designer and project manager.

[99ster]

[quote name='Rimskidog' post='496366' date='May 23 2009, 10:19 PM']I wish (as that would have saved me a fortune! ) Max Hodges is the designer and project manager.[/quote]


Thanks for the great posting - looking forward to watching this as it progresses...

And could you please PM with contact details for Max Hodges as I'm looking to build my own studio at home later in the year? Thanks!

[Rimskidog]

[quote name='99ster' post='496491' date='May 24 2009, 09:56 AM']Thanks for the great posting - looking forward to watching this as it progresses...

And could you please PM with contact details for Max Hodges as I'm looking to build my own studio at home later in the year? Thanks![/quote]

Thanks man. Best place to get him is to PM him on SOS forums. I'd have to speak to him before giving out his personal details (and he's like bloody Willo the Wisp!) I know he is very busy at the moment so make sure you book early. (though as you know he is also in Oxford so he may squeeze in a 'homer'!)

[Rimskidog]

Still more... here's one along the wall:



One of the aircon duct and emerging snakes:



And a top view of the aircon duct so far:

[Rimskidog]

Onward and upward!

Here's one from the control room/mix position looking back (compare it to the one from the same position above to see the progress):



From the machine room:



And from the loft/lounge looking in the other direction:

[99ster]

[quote name='Rimskidog' post='496502' date='May 24 2009, 10:15 AM']Thanks man. Best place to get him is to PM him on SOS forums. I'd have to speak to him before giving out his personal details (and he's like bloody Willo the Wisp!) I know he is very busy at the moment so make sure you book early. (though as you know he is also in Oxford so he may squeeze in a 'homer'!)[/quote]


Many thanks for the info - I'll seek him out on SOS... Yes - it's ideal that he's an Oxford dude.

[Rimskidog]

Here's an update for today... the first one is from the Control Room position:



From the upstairs loft/lounge:



And from the entrance door (kitchen side):

[Rimskidog]

Here's another pic. I gotta say the taller the walls get the smaller the space feels!



Any comments, questions etc, feel free to ask...!

[Biggsy]

Dream project, I'm very envious!

That is going to look the badgers nadgers when it's done, and you probably wouldn't be able to hear a Harrier jump jet landing outside the front door from the live room!

Subscribed!

[Rimskidog]

Thanks man!

So... scaffolding is up, lounge wall is all the way up to full height and live room walls are up to about 15 feet in places.

Here's the view from the mix position:



Here's one from the aircon chimney:



And one looking diagonally to the booth position:



My camera must be pretty crappy because it makes the space look completely tiny. It's actually about 8 feet to the bottom of the scaffolding platform but looks nothing like it on these pics!

Next up, alarm people and electrician are doing first fix and roof beams to put up.

[Rimskidog]

Here's one which should give you more of an idea of the internal height. Bear in mind this is one of the lowest points of the room.



Even on this one you can't see clearly. It isnt obvious from this angle that the height above the scaffolding is about the same as the height below!

[Rimskidog]

after a number of long weeks of anticipation... the live room roof beams arrived today. Here's the truck:



Unloading begins:



Five down, 75 to go:

Edited May 29, 2009 by Rimskidog

[Rimskidog]

74 to go!

Doh!

[Rimskidog]

And that's the lot:



Now for the heavy bit...