Garden Music Rooms

Floor Construction

 

The floor also needs to suit the intended use.

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This becomes particularly important where the room contains drums, amplifiers or other equipment capable of transmitting vibration.

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Possible considerations include:

• Structural loading

• Impact noise

• Vibration

• Acoustic underlay

• Rubber flooring

• Resilient layers

• Floating floors

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The appropriate construction will depend on the level of acoustic performance required.

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Acoustic Doors and Windows

 

Doors and glazing are often the weakest parts of an acoustic enclosure.

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Large areas of standard glazing may therefore conflict with the objective of creating a highly sound controlled studio.

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Depending on the project, options may include:

• Acoustic rated doors

• Double door arrangements

• Acoustic door seals

• Laminated glazing

• Secondary glazing

• Reduced areas of glazing

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The design needs to balance sound control with natural light and appearance.

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Ventilation Without Compromising Sound Control

 

A well insulated and sound controlled garden music room still needs fresh air.

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Simply installing an ordinary wall vent can create a direct path for sound to escape.

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Possible solutions include:

• Acoustic vents

• Sound attenuators

• Silenced ductwork

• Mechanical ventilation

• Indirect air paths

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Ventilation should therefore form part of the acoustic strategy from the beginning.

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Heating and Cooling

 

Music studios can become warm quickly because of people, lighting and electronic equipment.

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Heating and cooling may include:

• Electric panel heating

• Low noise air conditioning

• Mechanical ventilation

• Background heating

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Any mechanical equipment should be selected with operating noise in mind, particularly in recording environments.

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Electrical and Data Requirements

 

A garden music studio can need considerably more electrical provision than a normal garden room.

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Requirements might include:

• Multiple socket outlets

• Dedicated circuits

• Computer equipment

• Amplifiers

• Recording equipment

• USB charging

• Data cabling

• Audio cabling

• Equipment racks

• Specialist lighting

• External power

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Electrical routes should be carefully planned because unnecessary penetrations through acoustic walls can affect sound isolation.

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Lighting for a Garden Music Room

 

Lighting can be both practical and atmospheric.

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Possible options include:

• Dimmable downlights

• Desk lighting

• LED strip lighting

• Feature wall lighting

• Low level lighting

• Recording indicators

• External lighting

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Different lighting zones allow the room to change from a practical rehearsal environment to a more relaxed recording or production space.

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Small Garden Music Rooms

 

A music room does not necessarily need to be large.

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A small garden music room can work extremely well for:

• Guitar practice

• Keyboard

• Vocals

• Music production

• Mixing

• Podcasting

• Solo recording

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Compact rooms simply require more careful planning of equipment, furniture and storage.

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Larger Rehearsal Rooms

 

A larger studio may be needed where several musicians will use the room together.

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A rehearsal space may need to accommodate:

• Drum kit

• Amplifiers

• Keyboards

• Several musicians

• PA equipment

• Microphones

• Storage

• Seating

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The greater the number of musicians and the higher the sound levels, the more important acoustic separation, ventilation and room size become.

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Garden Music Studio Cost

 

The garden music studio cost depends heavily on the level of specification.

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A standard insulated garden room suitable for quiet practice may cost significantly less to construct than a high performance recording or rehearsal studio.

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Factors affecting a soundproof garden studio price include:

• Building size

• Foundation type

• Wall construction

• Ceiling construction

• Floor isolation

• Acoustic doors

• Specialist glazing

• Ventilation

• Electrical systems

• Acoustic treatment

• Internal finishes

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For this reason, there is no single specification that suits every garden music room.

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The sensible starting point is to establish what the room will be used for and how much acoustic separation is genuinely required.

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Where Should a Garden Music Room Be Positioned?

 

Position within the garden can help reduce potential noise issues.

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Consider:

• Distance from neighbouring houses

• Position of neighbouring bedrooms

• Boundaries

• Existing walls and planting

• Orientation of doors

• Window positions

• Distance from the main house

• Access

• Electrical supply

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Where possible, it can make sense to position the least acoustically sensitive side of the building towards neighbouring properties.

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Do Garden Music Rooms Need Planning Permission?

 

Many garden rooms may potentially be constructed under permitted development rights, but this should not simply be assumed.

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The planning position can depend on:

• Building height

• Position within the garden

• Distance from boundaries

• Amount of garden occupied

• Listed building status

• Conservation areas

• Previous planning conditions

• Removal of permitted development rights

• Intended use

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A domestic music room used as part of the enjoyment of the house is different from a studio being operated as a separate commercial premises.

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Noise and intensity of use can also become relevant where the proposed use may affect neighbouring properties.

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Do Garden Music Rooms Need Building Regulations?

 

Whether Building Regulations approval is required depends on the building's size, location, construction and use.

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Relevant considerations can include:

• Structure

• Fire safety

• Insulation

• Ventilation

• Electrical installation

• Buildings close to boundaries

• Specialist acoustic construction

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Where Building Regulations apply, the technical design should demonstrate compliance with the relevant requirements.

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Building a Garden Music Room

 

There are several ways to create a garden music studio.

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You could:

• Buy a complete installed studio

• Use a specialist acoustic studio company

• Employ a local builder

• Appoint an acoustic consultant

• Manage the construction yourself

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APN Garden Rooms offers another route.

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You can purchase the design and technical information first and then decide who you want to build it.

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For more specialist soundproof garden studios, an acoustic consultant can be brought into the project where a defined level of sound reduction is required.

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What Is Included in an APN Garden Music Room Plan Pack?

 

Our Complete Design & Technical Plan Pack provides professionally prepared drawings and construction information for the garden room design you choose.

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The pack gives you and your builder a clear basis from which to price and construct the building.

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Optional Soundproof Specification Pack

For homeowners who need a higher level of acoustic performance, we can also prepare a separate Soundproof Specification Pack at additional cost.
 

This can set out the recommended construction build ups and key acoustic details for the:

• Walls

• Floor

• Roof and ceiling

• Doors

• Glazing

• Service penetrations

• Ventilation

• Acoustic seals

• Resilient layers

• Internal acoustic treatment strategy
   

The specification would be developed around the intended use of the room, whether that is instrument practice, drums, music production, recording or rehearsal.
 

Where a defined acoustic performance is required, specialist acoustic consultancy may still be recommended.

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Choose a Garden Music Room Design

 

Our collection includes designs suitable for:

• Garden music rooms

• Soundproof garden studios

• Instrument practice rooms

• Music production studios

• Recording studios

• Small music rooms

• Larger rehearsal rooms

• Multi purpose garden studios

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Choose the design closest to what you need and use it as the starting point for your project.

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Build More Garden Room for Your Budget

 

At APN Garden Rooms, we separate design from construction.

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Instead of buying a complete turnkey garden room from one supplier, you can purchase a professionally prepared design and technical plan pack and then obtain quotations from builders or manage the construction yourself.

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This gives you greater control over:

• Who builds your garden room

• What materials are used

• How much you spend

• Which products you choose

• When the work is carried out

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Depending on the specification, contractor and way the project is managed, this approach can potentially produce savings of 40% to 50% compared with some turnkey garden room packages.

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