Studio Builds - The Ownmade Way

Do you want a garden room that is built to not only be functional (like a gym, office or cinema room) but something architecturally inspiring too yet without paying the full premium for a bespoke build?

Typically, the designer buildings you see in books like “Work from Shed” (which is a great book by the way - link below!) have architects involved which means they can be expensive. However, nearly every other garden room is a rectangular box because every time you turn a corner in architecture it costs money!

The Solution

The aim and project challenge was:

• To build a small music studio in the garden that saved at least 20% total (or £8,000!!) compared to an equivalent

• Maximise use of the available site and design a shape that was not just a basic box style

• Reduce window and doors to a minimum for increased sound proofing and efficiency

• To include a practical storage room for bikes and tools that was hidden

• Learn new skills by doing a lot of the time consuming DIY jobs yourself

START: An old shed to knock down

IDEA: What could a new studio look like?

END: A unique soundproof music studio

However, given the relative simplicity of an outdoor studio compared to say a house, is there another way to build a premium garden room and still save money? The answer, is YES, see below!!

• STEP 2 - BUILD TYPE: There are a number of different construction types you can use for garden studios from standard timber frame, structural SIPS panels or block work. However, the choice of which has implications to the material costs, labour and time required to build. E.g. SIPS are quick to fit and slot together but need to be prebuilt off-site which can be challenging if it is a large studio and access to the site is limited? Or if your local builder can quote you for a build that is fabricated directly on site then is this maybe even more cost effective although it will take longer to complete.

• STEP 3 - THE SITE: Consideration needs to be given to the shape of the garden room and the relation to its surroundings and the boundary fence. What height does the garden room need to be to fit in with any adjacent buildings and to meet design requirements? What access is available for getting materials to site and conversely, what needs to be cleared or stored during the build itself?

• STEP 4 - STORAGE & SERVICES: Storage space can often come at a premium, especially if you live in a city. Therefore, to maximise the use of your garden studio then look into what items you need to store and how often you need to access its contents such as bikes, tools, garden equipment etc.? For example, is there another shed for garden tools etc? Are you building a gym or an annexe garden room to provided additional sleeping accommodation, in which case, is a toilet and small bathroom 100% needed? Adding these additional services to the build will significantly increase the overall costs plus will require planning permission prior to starting the build.

Well it can be done by thinking outside the standard 'garden studio box' and looking at solutions that save you money at each stage of the build. How was the Ownmade studio built to a high standard, a unique design, architectural finish yet cheaper by £8,000 if compared to an equivalent garden studio company of the same size? The key principles and questions to ask to achieve this build were:

• Are there cheaper ways achieving this part of the build yet still meet the structural or design requirements ? (i.e. foundations, cladding etc.)

• Do I really need to pay an experienced trades person to do this task or could I learn to do it myself? (i.e. painting, insulating walls, laying a floor?)

• Is it possible to save on materials by sourcing cheaper alternatives or 2nd hand discounted finds (such as flooring, cladding materials etc.)

What are some of the things to consider at each stage of the build process?

• STEP 6 - DOORS & WINDOWS: Doors and window requirements will be personal to your build, location and brief. For example, windows will be one area that sound leaks from. Given nearly all the elevations of Ownmade's studio looked out onto a fence or it saved money by not adding in lots of windows (that allowed budget for upgrading to acoustic glass) and fitted a sun-tunnel in the middle of the roof instead that lets 3 times more light in than a normal window. However, if natural light is needed then door areas can be extended on the original Ownmade studio drawings.

• STEP 5 - FOUNDATIONS: This will depend on your current location and what the ground area is like? There are many different solutions on the market so if you are building over a lawn area you can use a contractor to fit ground screws or high loading pads. These more technical solutions can be expensive and will push the budget up for your build. However, it is possible using high-loading concrete paving slabs as an alternative that will save you a significant amount of money which is what I used as there was already an old concrete pad to work off.

• STEP 7 - CLADDING: This is one area where you can save money and it has a significant impact on your overall cost of build. Originally, Ownmade's studio had unique 100% recycled, diamond shaped plastic tiles from Holland on as the proposed cladding but when the quote came back it would cost £4,500 for one wall of cladding! Making an alternative version but with the same look (out of premium marine ply for the front elevation) saved thousands of pounds by comparison.

• STEP 8 - ROOFING & DRAINAGE: Garden studios are typically flat roof buildings and there are many roofing products out there. One of the most common and easy solutions to fit is an EPDM roof membrane which is like rolling on a heavy, rubber carpet! Quick to install, durable and low maintenance.

• STEP 9 - INTERNAL FINISHES: This is one area where it is easy to save on labour costs as really most people are capable of decorating a room. Also, for one room you don't need an internal designer to choose materials and colour schemes - all this can be achieved with a bit of imagination, creativity and looking at rooms that you like online.

• STEP 10 - DECKING: The composite boards for standard decking come in kits these days with the edgings and clips included too so all quite easy to fit. The amount of decking for a standard garden studio is typically small and sits on a basic frame so all things you can do yourself to save money – the key is in the planning.

• STEP 11 - SOUNDPROOFING: Ownmade's brief and build were specifically for a music studio, but the main structure is exactly the same as a standard garden office. The main difference was that an additional “room-within-a-room” structure was added. This allowed for a small gap between the internal and external walls to prevent sound travel plus special acoustic materials were used for the insulation, plaster board and acoustic glass instead.

• STEP 12 - ACOUSTIC TREATMENT: This is different from sound proofing as it specifically refers to the treatment of how sound reverberates within the room itself. i.e. a well-treated room will give you a balanced and true sound so that what you are hearing from your studio monitors is accurate. This can be an expensive process if paying specialist companies, but you can get say 80% of what you need by covering off the basics and making your own acoustic panels or bass-traps. This will save you a significant amount of money and still deliver a workable solution.

The Challenge