ᐅ Basement for a Small Recording Studio, or an Extension Instead?
Created on: 13 Mar 2015 10:47
W
Willem81Hello everyone!
My family and I plan to build a house in the near future. We have already purchased the plot, found an architect, and many components are already quite clear to us. We will build using solid wood construction. Our requirements are not very complex: besides an open ground floor with kitchen, living room, utility room, shower bathroom, and workspace, there will be a master bedroom and two children's rooms upstairs. So far, so simple.
The more complicated issue is this: I am a musician and would like to integrate my small recording studio into the house. I work there alone, so it is not a studio with through traffic. The room will also be used for making music and rehearsals. It should be about 30sqm (320sq ft) in size. We had long thought about a separate acoustically isolated annex, but our architect suggested that a basement might be more sensible. We actually wanted to avoid a basement for cost reasons. But the architect is right: an annex naturally incurs different costs than a basement.
In addition, the soil in the top 2 meters (6.5 feet) is rich in humus, so we would have to remove 2 meters (6.5 feet) of soil anyway and replace it with sand if we did not build a basement. So that makes sense.
The soil expert also recommends a water-tight concrete structure ("white tank"). The footprint will be approximately 9x9 meters (30x30 feet), so the basement will be around 80sqm (860sq ft). As a living basement, it will also need insulation. I would like the studio to have daylight, so the idea is to build a high basement and take advantage of the slightly sloped site, grading the southern side so that the basement is at ground level on that side.
Now my question to you: does this make sense cost-wise? Or can you imagine a cheaper solution for this room? Considering all these points (grading, insulation, water-tight structure, high basement, etc.), could an annex actually be more cost-effective? Integrating the room into the upper or ground floor is difficult space-wise because the building footprint is hard to extend due to a fairly narrow building envelope (an annex would be possible, as the plot is triangular and a smaller structure could fit beside the house). The house can only be built as 1.5 stories, so using the attic is not an option. Do you have experience with suppliers of prefabricated basements?
I would appreciate your opinions!
Best regards,
Willem
My family and I plan to build a house in the near future. We have already purchased the plot, found an architect, and many components are already quite clear to us. We will build using solid wood construction. Our requirements are not very complex: besides an open ground floor with kitchen, living room, utility room, shower bathroom, and workspace, there will be a master bedroom and two children's rooms upstairs. So far, so simple.
The more complicated issue is this: I am a musician and would like to integrate my small recording studio into the house. I work there alone, so it is not a studio with through traffic. The room will also be used for making music and rehearsals. It should be about 30sqm (320sq ft) in size. We had long thought about a separate acoustically isolated annex, but our architect suggested that a basement might be more sensible. We actually wanted to avoid a basement for cost reasons. But the architect is right: an annex naturally incurs different costs than a basement.
In addition, the soil in the top 2 meters (6.5 feet) is rich in humus, so we would have to remove 2 meters (6.5 feet) of soil anyway and replace it with sand if we did not build a basement. So that makes sense.
The soil expert also recommends a water-tight concrete structure ("white tank"). The footprint will be approximately 9x9 meters (30x30 feet), so the basement will be around 80sqm (860sq ft). As a living basement, it will also need insulation. I would like the studio to have daylight, so the idea is to build a high basement and take advantage of the slightly sloped site, grading the southern side so that the basement is at ground level on that side.
Now my question to you: does this make sense cost-wise? Or can you imagine a cheaper solution for this room? Considering all these points (grading, insulation, water-tight structure, high basement, etc.), could an annex actually be more cost-effective? Integrating the room into the upper or ground floor is difficult space-wise because the building footprint is hard to extend due to a fairly narrow building envelope (an annex would be possible, as the plot is triangular and a smaller structure could fit beside the house). The house can only be built as 1.5 stories, so using the attic is not an option. Do you have experience with suppliers of prefabricated basements?
I would appreciate your opinions!
Best regards,
Willem
B
Bauexperte13 Mar 2015 12:25Hello Willem,
That is not fundamentally true. Building a ground-level extension is always cheaper than sinking expensive money into a basement.
Well, gravel isn’t that expensive.
How much it will cost ultimately depends on the sealing method the expert recommends. It will definitely be around EUR 5,000.
One thing is certain—either way, additional costs will come up, because acoustic separation either upwards (from the basement) or to the side (from the extension) will also not be cheap. I don’t think it will be manageable with egg cartons, as we used to do.
As a person sharing living space, I certainly wouldn’t tolerate the recording studio inside the house; I know how loud it gets and how often doors are opened and closed when the music enthusiasts really get going. At some point, the cola will definitely find its way outside.
It is difficult to answer your questions because I don’t have prices for gravel in the building industry. I would therefore recommend having your architect do the calculations; I will gladly adjust the cost estimates—excluding soil replacement—to realistic expected values.
A basement will cost you approximately EUR 35,000. In fact, the finished basement converted to living space (insulation, underfloor heating everywhere, etc.) will cost about EUR 15,000; the sealing according to DIN standards will be around EUR 5,000, and one or two floor-to-ceiling window units will add another EUR 2,500 to 4,500 depending on size and whether they have manual or electric shutters. The exposed masonry due to excavation will also need plastering; assuming one side and a bit to the left and right will add about EUR 2,500. The big question is, what does the gravel cost and what quality does it need? Quickly, I found a price indication of EUR 13.00 per cubic meter for gravel/sand mixture. That would put the soil replacement at about EUR 2,100; however, this has to be done regardless.
A ground-level extension for 30 sqm (323 sq ft) with a simple gable roof will cost around EUR 42,000; naturally plus soil replacement of about EUR 780 (USD 800).
Both basement and extension require additional measures to prevent sound from spreading uncontrollably and to keep bass noise from driving residents or neighbors crazy. Unfortunately, I have no idea what that could cost.
Even if the numbers above are approximate—and additional costs for soundproofing will apply—you can already see that despite all the challenges you mentioned, the basement still represents a more affordable option compared to the extension.
As I said, have your architect run the numbers, and then you can decide. You already have some figures now.
Best regards, Bauexperte
Willem81 schrieb:
The room should be about 30sqm (323 sq ft) in size. We had been considering a sound-isolated extension for a long time, but our architect suggested that a basement might be more practical. We originally wanted to avoid a basement for cost reasons. But the architect is right: an extension naturally involves very different costs than a basement.
That is not fundamentally true. Building a ground-level extension is always cheaper than sinking expensive money into a basement.
Willem81 schrieb:
Also, the soil in the first 2 meters (6.5 ft) is very humus-rich, so we would have to remove 2m (6.5 ft) of earth anyway and fill it with sand if we don't build a basement. So it does make sense in that regard.
Well, gravel isn’t that expensive.
Willem81 schrieb:
By the way, the soil expert recommends a “white tub” (watertight concrete shell).
How much it will cost ultimately depends on the sealing method the expert recommends. It will definitely be around EUR 5,000.
Willem81 schrieb:
Now my question to you: does this make financial sense for you? Or can you imagine a cheaper way to build the room? Considering all these mentioned points (excavation, insulation, white tub, raised basement, ...) might an extension actually be more cost-effective?
One thing is certain—either way, additional costs will come up, because acoustic separation either upwards (from the basement) or to the side (from the extension) will also not be cheap. I don’t think it will be manageable with egg cartons, as we used to do.
Willem81 schrieb:
Integrating the room into the upper or ground floor is difficult in terms of space, since the footprint is hard to expand due to a rather low building window (planning permission / building permit). An extension would work because the plot is triangular, and a smaller building structure would fit next to it. The house can only be built with one and a half floors, so using the attic is not an option. Do you have experience with manufacturers of prefabricated basements?
So, I would appreciate your opinion!
As a person sharing living space, I certainly wouldn’t tolerate the recording studio inside the house; I know how loud it gets and how often doors are opened and closed when the music enthusiasts really get going. At some point, the cola will definitely find its way outside.
It is difficult to answer your questions because I don’t have prices for gravel in the building industry. I would therefore recommend having your architect do the calculations; I will gladly adjust the cost estimates—excluding soil replacement—to realistic expected values.
A basement will cost you approximately EUR 35,000. In fact, the finished basement converted to living space (insulation, underfloor heating everywhere, etc.) will cost about EUR 15,000; the sealing according to DIN standards will be around EUR 5,000, and one or two floor-to-ceiling window units will add another EUR 2,500 to 4,500 depending on size and whether they have manual or electric shutters. The exposed masonry due to excavation will also need plastering; assuming one side and a bit to the left and right will add about EUR 2,500. The big question is, what does the gravel cost and what quality does it need? Quickly, I found a price indication of EUR 13.00 per cubic meter for gravel/sand mixture. That would put the soil replacement at about EUR 2,100; however, this has to be done regardless.
A ground-level extension for 30 sqm (323 sq ft) with a simple gable roof will cost around EUR 42,000; naturally plus soil replacement of about EUR 780 (USD 800).
Both basement and extension require additional measures to prevent sound from spreading uncontrollably and to keep bass noise from driving residents or neighbors crazy. Unfortunately, I have no idea what that could cost.
Even if the numbers above are approximate—and additional costs for soundproofing will apply—you can already see that despite all the challenges you mentioned, the basement still represents a more affordable option compared to the extension.
As I said, have your architect run the numbers, and then you can decide. You already have some figures now.
Best regards, Bauexperte
S
Sebastian7913 Mar 2015 12:32Quick question for construction experts: How do you come to use gravel as fill material? I thought you use "good" sand for that, or have I misunderstood? We have some gravel/aggregate on the property that needs to be removed separately...?
B
Bauexperte13 Mar 2015 12:43Lexmaul79 schrieb:
Quick question for Bauexperte: Why do you recommend gravel as backfill material? Isn’t “good” sand usually used, or did I misunderstand something? In most cases, a gravel mixture is used; the soil expert will specify the required quality.
Lexmaul79 schrieb:
We have some gravel/crushed stone on the plot, which needs to be removed... right? How should I know? You need to check your soil report to see what it states.
Regards, Bauexperte
S
Sebastian7913 Mar 2015 12:44What should you know? I didn't actually have a question.
Soil survey, what is it?
Soil survey, what is it?
Lexmaul79 schrieb:
Soil survey, what is it? Your guarantee for the stability of your house – without a survey, there is no p
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