Building a studio?

[Morganica]

Thinking (only thinking at this point) about building a new studio onto the back of my house. There's a giant wooden deck there right now, one I've never liked, and it's starting to break down (it also costs a fortune to refinish and maintain every year).

I'd tear it out and build on a room maybe 15x20, a studio space with a small bathroom. Then I'd turn the old studio into a photo studio and work/show storage area, which I desperately need.

Ideally, the new space would also be able to accommodate maybe 4-6 students for casting/pate de verre classes. I've got a waiting list of students about as long as my arm, and it'd be nice to have a space for such things.

Who else has done stuff like this and would be willing to share info about costs, pitfalls, etc. I'm thinking the first step is finding an architect because there are considerations on roofline, adding onto the house foundation etc, and I want to make sure this doesn't look like an afterthought.

Ideas? Suggestions? Help?

[beninfl]

With your knowledge you should fill an auditorium!

[Marty]

Cynthia- Are you going to move stuff out of the garage or just add on to usable space? Your yard (as I recall) doesn't back onto anything interesting. I'd use the opportunity to open up the entire back of the house and consolidate all the glass stuff there. Nikki O'Neil did that with a greenhouse studio very successfully. If you don't use the garage for cars, steal some of the space for living or studio- but better connected through the smaller rooms (the ones with with frit and stuff); you're wasting room on hallways.
Moving plumbing gets expensive- are you sure you need the half bath? Arrange the garage renovation so that it's reversible for resale.
Hiring an architect is great but it helps if you clarify your needs first. Want to send me a floor plan? I'm doing this myself- we'll be moving in a couple of years and I'm laying out the new studio now but will definitely consult with the architect.
Marty

[Morganica]

What a nice thing to say, beninfl! Thank you.

Marty, I would love to see a floor plan. What I'm thinking of is extending the back of the house as you suggest, not building a separate structure, and putting most everything there. I want to return the garage to car-keeping in one bay, but I will keep coldworking and messy moldmaking in the other. What's now the little interior studio would become a photo/video studio and place to store completed work, show and packing materials, etc.

Plumbing, I know I need water in the studio anyway. I love my house, but when I had it appraised about three years ago I was told that the fact it only has two bathrooms on the top floor hurts its salability. (not to mention the fact that running up three floors when I'm covered in clay, wax and mold material doesn't do much for housekeeping) So I've been trying to find a place for a downstairs bath for awhile anyway.

Besides, at some point I'm supposed to get new knees, I've been told no stairs for at least two months post-surgery, something disastrous in my stairs-all-over-the-place house. I'd planned to rent an apartment for a couple of months, but if I could use the studio as a master-on-main for awhile, it'd solve a lot of problems. So...I'm looking for a design that's got enough workbench space for 6, kilnspace, glass storage, cutting, sculpting, master mold-making, and assembly stations, mold library, sample bins, etc.

[charlie]

[quote="Morganica"]
Besides, at some point I'm supposed to get new knees, I've been told no stairs for at least two months post-surgery, something disastrous in my stairs-all-over-the-place house. I'd planned to rent an apartment for a couple of months, but if I could use the studio as a master-on-main for awhile, it'd solve a lot of problems. [/quote]

doesn't this make it be a medical tax deduction? i know things like putting in ramps and handholds are.

[Don Burt]

This isn't working. We're going to need an all-floor plan on your blog. Utility specs. Lot dimensions. Photos would be helpful.

[Morganica]

Besides, at some point I'm supposed to get new knees, I've been told no stairs for at least two months post-surgery, something disastrous in my stairs-all-over-the-place house. I'd planned to rent an apartment for a couple of months, but if I could use the studio as a master-on-main for awhile, it'd solve a lot of problems.

doesn't this make it be a medical tax deduction? i know things like putting in ramps and handholds are.

Charlie, if I could pull THAT one off, I would.

[linn keller]

hi cynthia,
i think don's point of plan and photos would be great for specifics, but general thoughts before seeing the potential bldg site and existing structure: know your local zoning requirements - make sure new building perimeter will meet setback requirements and other local mandates; consider a sep. elec. box for your addition rather than fill/expand your existing box, as much elec as possible, and lots of sep. circuits; using "teaching" space listed as purpose in some permitting documents may change cost/requirements of exactly the same (new) elec. feed (commercial vs. residential); water, imo, def. must, but look toward shortest plumbing/water line run possible. these were things that we bumped into/had to consider when doing addition to house and/or building studio. some of these obvious and i knew about before, some not til we were underway.
ciao,
linn

[Bert Weiss]

Move to Texas and rent space from Ellen. Her new studio is large and single story.

In PDX, Think about creating a kiln room that is uninsulated and unheated. (you can always turn a kiln on for heat while you load another kiln). I'm just thinking about keeping it simpler and less expensive. The trick with an unheated space is to keep the controllers powered on all the time, to keep them warm enough to prevent condensation. Yes, Nikki's greenhouse space is really nice.

[Terry Gallentine]

I know that you probably don't have enough room to build a stand aside studio but that would be my first suggestion. I know of too many people who have lost studios to fire because of kiln accidents. If a stand apart studio is out of question, then you should make sure that your fire wall between your house and your studio is as high a rating as possible. Cement block would work well or a multiple layer sheetrock wall with steel studs.