This project under construction looks like a modest residential renovation – finishing a mid-century basement with a few new rooms. But behind the new drywall is an extra level of detail and coordination specific to Triobite Design’s architectural acoustic specicialty.
We worked with the owner to plan a new recording studio: a live recording room, and a mix/master room, and the option of a vocal isolation booth. The primary goal was to create isolation from the live room from the rest of the existing building. In lieu of a glass window separating the rooms, we’ve planned on cameras and screens – this makes the isolation easier and less expensive, but shifts the communication requirements from visual to digital. The walls are separated, and a new vibrationally-isolated ceiling was hung below the existing structure. At the mid-point when there room only has the raw drywall surfaces, the space is currently a phenomenally isolated reverberation chamber. As the finishes get completed, the acoustics will be tuned through proper treatment of the walls, ceiling, and floor.
Carefully detailed doors, and tricky isolation details at the floor joists makes this more complex than a typical residential remodel. Communicating with the contruction team so that everyone understands the acoustic goals and what each detail accomplishes can help achieve a more successful project. We love learning the specific workflow and priorities of each person we work with, and this project is a great example of finding the perfect balance between how big a project can be (budget, size, materials, timeline) and what the end result needs to be (functional, professional, multi-track music recording setup).