Local Council – Building Control

So you are slowly moving down the list of recording studio designs. You know you need to install soundproofing which usually requires you to create an air-tight room. This is where your local council’s building control comes in. If you’re going to operate commercially, usually your local council will want to check fire safety and air supply safety and emergency lighting. If you are simply building the studio for your own use, building control is usually not interesting, however, you should still follow these guild lines to keep you safe from fire and from suffocating from lack of oxygen and be able to see where they are going in the event of a power cut.

Fire regulations for commercial properties when considering recording studio design are the same as for any commercial property. You need half-hour fire doors in all rooms and a safe way of exiting the building. You are best to speak to your local council as some councils have different views than others. In general, fire doors need to be incorporated into your recording studio design and intermittent strips with smoke seals along with door closers and fire door hinges need to be used.

Active ventilation regulations for commercial properties when considering recording studio design are also the same as for any commercial property. You need to allow for at least 5 cubic litres of air per second person. So if you have an average of 3 people in your control room, you need to allow for 15 cubic litres of air per second. There are some situations where if you have either a very large space or there is a reason for the doors to be opened and closed lots throughout the day, some councils may remove the requirement for ventilation. However given the average use of a recording studio even a large complex, as this type of use is rare, when it comes to preserving life, it’s always best to have active ventilation to ensure no one dies!

As most recording studios cannot afford the luxury of external windows and most studios cannot guarantee the window is right next to a street light, you will need to provide emergency lighting with considering your recording studio design. This is one aspect of your visual design that needs to be considered carefully as most emergency lights are ugly and stand out like a saw thumb with their green charging light. But don’t panic, if you really don’t think you can cope with a standard emergency light, there are alternatives out there, you can easily integrate emergency lighting into most downlights, the cost is more considerable, however, this will bring peace to most producers out there.