Phase 2: Room Layout Options

TechTown Acoustics 2.0 — MediaVerse Studio Complex — B3 Damascus

Version: v03 (PNG-VERIFIED COLUMNS) | Date: 2026-03-04 | Author: Claude (Opus 4.6) | Status: AWAITING SELECTION

v02 GEOMETRY CORRECTION

Trapezoid Direction Corrected — Room Widens Northward

The v01 report contained an incorrect trapezoid orientation (room narrowing northward). The correct geometry has the room widening northward, with the NW corner extending 1.23 m west of the SW corner. The east wall is straight and perpendicular. All room sizes have been recalculated with the corrected 34.42 m² gross area (+18% from v01).

Parameter	v01 (WRONG)	v02 (CORRECTED)	Change
Gross Area	~29 m²	34.42 m²	+18.7%
North Wall	~615 cm	860 cm	+245 cm
Room Direction	Narrows north	WIDENS north	REVERSED
Effective Volume	91.8 m³	108.4 m³	+18.1%
NW Corner (X)	+1.22 m (east of SW)	-1.23 m (west of SW)	FLIPPED
Width Formula	W(Y) = 7.37 - ...	W(Y) = 7.37 + (Y/4.31) x 1.23	SIGN FIX

1. Updated Parameters

Changes from Cross-Session Data

Parameter	Previous (v01 Scope)	Updated	Impact
Ceiling to concrete slab	2.90 m (assumed final)	3.50 m (gypsum at 2.9 m removable)	+21% volume; better modal distribution
Gross area (CORRECTED)	~29 m²	34.42 m²	+18% usable area; rooms can be larger
Effective volume	91.8 m³	108.4 m³ (after float floor + ceiling)	Lower Schroeder freq; more bass trap space
Trapezoid direction	Narrows north	WIDENS north	NW corner extends 1.23 m west; more NW area
Buffer spine	Not selected	REQUIRED	~3-4 m² consumed; better flanking control
NC — Control Room	NC-20	NC-25	Easier to achieve; less isolation needed
NC — Video/Podcast	NC-20	NC-25	Easier to achieve
RT60 — VO Live	0.20-0.30 s	0.15-0.25 s	More absorption required; tighter control
VO Live Room use	Voice-over only	VO + 2-3 vocalists + soft acoustic instrument	Needs larger room; modal analysis critical
Green screen	Not specified	Motorized/retractable + 10-30 cm air gap	Video room needs N-S wall clearance
STC targets	STC-60+ (VO)	STC 58-68 (VO perimeter + server wall)	Confirmed; MAM wall on east side
Existing partitions	Assumed removable	Full demo confirmed	Clean shell for construction

CONFIRMED WORKFLOW: Entry (south) → Editing → Video/Podcast → Audio Control → Live/Vocal Booth — noise gradient from high NC tolerance to NC-15 sanctuary.

2. Space Constraint Analysis

v02 IMPROVEMENT: With the corrected geometry (34.42 m² instead of ~29 m²), the area-vs-program mismatch from v01 is significantly reduced. Available room area increases from ~19-22 m² to ~24-28 m², bringing all rooms closer to viable sizes.

Area Budget Breakdown (CORRECTED)

Item	Area (m²)	Notes
Gross yellow zone (trapezoid)	34.42	South 737 cm x North 860 cm x East 431 cm (WIDENS north)
Less: Sound lock / vestibule	-1.5 to -2.5	Double-door airlock at south entry
Less: Buffer spine	-2.5 to -3.5	80-100 cm wide x room length
Less: Partition walls + air gaps	-3.0 to -4.0	VO box-in-box walls thickest (~25 cm per side)
Available for rooms	~24-28 m²	Distributed across 4 functional rooms +26-27% vs v01

Minimum vs. Available Room Sizes (RECALCULATED)

Room	Min. Viable (m²)	v01 Estimate (m²)	v02 Estimate (m²)	Feasibility
VO Live Room (box-in-box)	7.5 (solo) / 10+ (ensemble)	5.5-7.5	6.5-9.0	TIGHT but improved
Control Room	6.0	4.5-6.0	5.5-7.0	VIABLE
Video / Podcast Studio	10.0	6.0-8.0	7.0-9.5	TIGHT
Editing Workstations	8.0 (4 desks)	3.0-5.0	4.0-6.0	REDUCED to 3 desks

Volume Update (with 3.5 m Slab, CORRECTED Area)

Metric	v01 (wrong area)	v02 (corrected area)	Change
Raw volume (area x 3.50 m)	101.9 m³	120.5 m³	+18.3%
After float floor (-15 cm) + acoustic ceiling (-20 cm)	91.8 m³	108.4 m³	+18.1%
Effective ceiling height	3.15 m	3.15 m	unchanged

The corrected geometry adds ~5.4 m² of gross area and ~16.6 m³ of effective volume. Combined with the extra ceiling height (3.15 m effective), this significantly improves low-frequency modal distribution and allows taller bass traps / ceiling clouds in all rooms.

3. Trapezoid Geometry Reference (CORRECTED)

Zone boundary / East wall (STRAIGHT)

Angled NW wall / Columns

NW extension (123 cm west)

Server room (noise source)

Entry point

Noise gradient direction

4. Layout Option A — "Dual Zone with Central Spine"

RECOMMENDED v03 PNG-VERIFIED

The space is divided east-west by a central buffer spine running north-south. The VO suite occupies the west half (away from the server room), and the production zone occupies the east half. The sound lock is at the south entry. This layout maximizes the distance between the NC-15 live room and both noise sources (server room + entry). With the corrected geometry (+18% area), all rooms gain approximately proportional size increases.

Option A — Room Dimensions (v03 PNG-VERIFIED)

Room	Interior (cm)	v01 Area	v02 Area (m²)	NC	Construction
VO Live Room	~350 x 170 (avg, widens N)	5.8	~7.0	NC-15	Full box-in-box: floating floor, decoupled walls/ceiling, air gaps
Control Room	~370 x 171 (avg)	5.0	~6.0	NC-25	Shared wall with Live (studio window); standard acoustic walls
Video / Podcast	~327 x 230	6.4	~7.5	NC-25	Standard acoustic treatment; motorized green screen on west wall
Editing	~327 x 131	4.0	~5.0	NC-30-35	Open area; basic absorption panels; headphone use only
Sound Lock	~140 x 100	1.2	~1.5	NC-35	Double door; absorption on walls/ceiling
Buffer Spine	~85 x 341	2.7	~3.0	--	Services corridor: HVAC ducts, cable trays, access panels
TOTAL		25.1	~30.0

Advantages

VO Live Room at ~7.0 m² — viable for 2-3 vocalists (v01 was only 5.8 m²)
VO Live Room in NW corner — maximum distance from entry AND server room
Buffer spine provides complete flanking path break between VO suite and production
Green screen on west wall of Video room: N-S orientation (safest)
Editing adjacent to entry — highest NC tolerance where noise is greatest
Control Room at ~6.0 m² — now meets minimum viable threshold
Video room at ~7.5 m² with ~2.7 m camera throw — improved from v01
Columns integrated into spine/partition walls — no wasted space
HVAC services routed through spine without crossing room boundaries
Noise gradient flows naturally: SE (entry) → NW (live room)

Limitations

VO Live Room at ~7.0 m² still below ideal 10+ m² for full ensemble
Angled west wall complicates VO room geometry (non-rectangular)
Control Room is non-rectangular (follows angled wall)
Video room at ~7.5 m² still below ideal 10 m²
Editing area fits 3 desks (not 4)

Acoustic Rating: ★★★★☆ — Best isolation topology; room sizes now viable thanks to corrected geometry

5. Layout Option B — "L-Wrap Configuration"

v03 PNG-VERIFIED

The VO suite wraps around the northwest corner in an L-shape, with the Live Room in the far NW and the Control Room extending along the north wall. The Video/Podcast studio occupies the eastern portion with maximum width for the green screen. The buffer spine runs east-west, dividing north (quiet) from south (active). With the corrected wider-north geometry, the north zone rooms (Live + Control) gain significant area. However, the south zone remains relatively shallow due to the column row constraint.

Option B — Room Dimensions (v03 PNG-VERIFIED)

Room	Interior (cm)	v01 Area	v02 Area (m²)	NC	Notes
VO Live Room	~340 x 170 (avg, widens N)	5.5	~6.5	NC-15	NW corner; irregular west wall (angled); benefits from wider north
Control Room	~462 x 170	6.2	~7.8	NC-25	Very wide along north wall; great for mixing desk + monitors
Video / Podcast	~460 x 91 (avg)	7.5	~4.0	NC-25	Wide but shallow; green screen on angled west wall
Editing	~312 x 91	2.6	~2.8	NC-30-35	Tight; 2 desks max
Sound Lock	~140 x 80	1.0	~1.1	NC-35	Compact double-door
Buffer Spine (E-W)	~790 x 80 (avg)	5.7	~6.3	--	Full-width E-W corridor — LARGE footprint (wider north)
TOTAL		28.5	~28.5

Advantages

Control Room is very wide (462 cm) — excellent for mixing desk + monitors
North zone benefits most from wider-north geometry (both rooms are larger)
Full E-W spine creates complete acoustic break between quiet north and active south
Studio window on east wall of Live Room — natural sight line
Live Room is furthest from server room AND entry (NW corner)

Limitations

E-W buffer spine consumes ~6.3 m² — VERY LARGE (wider at north)
Video room is only ~91 cm deep — TOO SHALLOW for camera throw
Editing reduced to 2 desks maximum
South rooms (Video, Editing) do NOT benefit from wider-north geometry (they are in the south)
Green screen on angled west wall creates perspective distortion issues
Columns cut into the south zone awkwardly
Area wasted: wider-north advantage goes mostly to spine, not usable rooms

Acoustic Rating: ★★★☆☆ — Good N-S separation but south zone rooms remain impractically shallow; wider-north advantage wasted on spine

6. Layout Option C — "Maximum Live Room"

v03 PNG-VERIFIED

This layout prioritizes the VO Live Room, giving it the largest possible footprint in the quiet NW corner. The Control Room is adjacent to the south. The Video/Podcast studio and Editing share the east side. Buffer spine runs north-south as a narrow service corridor. With the corrected wider-north geometry, the Live Room gains significant width at its northern end, making ensemble recording much more viable.

Option C — Room Dimensions (v03 PNG-VERIFIED)

Room	Interior (cm)	v01 Area	v02 Area (m²)	NC	Notes
VO Live Room	~410 x 220 (avg, widens N)	7.8	~9.5	NC-15	LARGEST live room; comfortably accommodates ensemble; benefits most from wider-north geometry
Control Room	~418 x 121 (avg)	4.3	~5.2	NC-25	Wide but shallow — tight for monitoring distance
Video / Podcast	~287 x 190	4.8	~5.5	NC-25	Improved; camera throw ~2.2 m
Editing	~287 x 151	4.3	~4.3	NC-30-35	3 desks; headphone zone
Sound Lock	~140 x 80	1.0	~1.1	NC-35	Compact double-door
Buffer Spine	~75 x 341	2.4	~2.6	--	Narrow spine; minimal but functional
TOTAL		24.6	~28.2

Advantages

Largest Live Room (~9.5 m²) — comfortably viable for 2-3 vocalists + soft acoustic instrument
Live Room benefits enormously from wider-north geometry (widest at the north end)
Room ratio ~1.4:1 at center — good for modal distribution
Live Room has best isolation position (NW corner, max distance from all noise)
Narrower buffer spine saves area for rooms
Editing gets reasonable area (4.3 m²) for 3 desks
Video room improved to ~5.5 m² (was 4.8 in v01)

Limitations

Control Room only ~121 cm deep — SHALLOW for near-field monitoring
Video room at ~5.5 m² — TIGHT for full video production
Green screen placement is limited on the narrow spine-side wall
Spine at 75 cm is tight for HVAC duct routing
Live Room's west wall follows angled facade — modal analysis complicates
Control Room area concentrated in width, not depth

Acoustic Rating: ★★★★☆ — Best live room by far; Control Room depth remains the key compromise

7. Comparison Matrix

v03 PNG-VERIFIED

Criterion	Option A Dual Zone + Central Spine	Option B L-Wrap	Option C Maximum Live Room
VO Live Room area	7.0 m²	6.5 m²	9.5 m² ★
Control Room area	6.0 m²	7.8 m² ★	5.2 m²
Video / Podcast area	7.5 m² ★	4.0 m²	5.5 m²
Editing area	5.0 m² ★	2.8 m²	4.3 m²
Spine area consumed	3.0 m²	6.3 m²	2.6 m² ★
Total usable room area	~27.0 m² ★	~22.2 m²	~25.6 m²
VO isolation quality	Excellent ★	Good	Excellent ★
Noise gradient alignment	Excellent ★	Good	Good
Camera throw distance	~2.7 m ★	~1.5 m	~2.2 m
Green screen orientation	N-S (best) ★	N-S (on angle)	N-S (narrow)
HVAC routing ease	Easy (N-S spine) ★	Moderate	Tight (75 cm)
Construction complexity	Standard ★	Complex	Standard
Column integration	Natural ★	Awkward	Natural
Ensemble recording viability	Tight (7.0 m²)	Tight (6.5 m²)	VIABLE (9.5 m²)
Wider-north geometry benefit	Moderate (both zones)	Poor (spine absorbs benefit)	Maximum (live room) ★

v02 Note: The corrected geometry increases all Option A and C room sizes by ~15-22%. Option B benefits less because the wider north is absorbed by the E-W spine. Option A remains the best balanced choice; Option C becomes significantly more attractive for ensemble recording (9.5 m² vs v01's 7.8 m²).

8. Recommendation

PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION: Option A ("Dual Zone with Central Spine")

Option A provides the best overall balance across all criteria with the corrected geometry:

Best noise gradient alignment (SE entry → NW live room)
Most efficient buffer spine (N-S, only ~3.0 m²)
Natural column integration into partition walls
Clean HVAC routing through central spine
Green screen in optimal N-S orientation on straight wall
All rooms at viable sizes (7.0, 6.0, 7.5, 5.0 m²) — significantly improved from v01
VO Live Room now at 7.0 m² (was 5.8 in v01) — closer to solo+duo viability
Highest total usable room area (~27 m²)

STRONGER ALTERNATIVE THAN v01: Option C if ensemble recording is a top priority. With the corrected geometry, Option C's Live Room reaches ~9.5 m² (was 7.8 in v01) — approaching the 10+ m² ensemble threshold. The trade-off is still a shallow Control Room (~121 cm depth), but the larger Live Room is now a compelling advantage. Consider Option C if 3 vocalists + instrument is a primary (not occasional) use case.

NOT RECOMMENDED: Option B. The E-W buffer spine now consumes ~6.3 m² (even larger with wider-north geometry), and the south rooms remain too shallow. The wider-north advantage is wasted on spine area rather than usable rooms.

9. Preliminary Modal Considerations

Axial Mode Estimates (Option A — Live Room, v02 Corrected)

Using effective interior dimensions ~350 x 170 (avg) x 315 cm (height to acoustic ceiling from floating floor). Note: the room widens northward so width varies from ~280 cm (south end) to ~420 cm (north end). Average width ~350 cm used for estimation.

Mode	Dimension (cm)	f1 (Hz)	f2 (Hz)	f3 (Hz)
Length (350 cm avg)	3.50 m	49.1	98.3	147.4
Width / Depth (170 cm)	1.70 m	101.2	202.4	303.5
Height (315 cm)	3.15 m	54.6	109.2	163.8

f = n x c / (2 x L), where c = 344 m/s (air at ~21 C), n = mode order.
Lowest axial mode: 49.1 Hz (length mode) — improved from v01's 68.8 Hz due to larger room.
Ratio analysis: 3.50 : 1.70 : 3.15 = 1.00 : 0.49 : 0.90
The non-rectangular shape (trapezoid west wall) naturally breaks modal degeneracy. The wider north end shifts standing wave patterns, which is acoustically beneficial.

Schroeder Frequency Estimate (Option A — Live Room, v02)

f_Schroeder = 2000 x sqrt(RT60 / V)

For Live Room: RT60 ~ 0.20 s, V ~ 350 x 170 x 315 = 18.7 m³ (average estimate)

f_Schroeder = 2000 x sqrt(0.20 / 18.7) = 2000 x 0.1034 = ~207 Hz

Below ~207 Hz, room behavior is dominated by discrete modes. The slightly lower Schroeder frequency (vs v01's ~210 Hz) reflects the marginally larger volume. Bass trapping remains critical in this range. The extra ceiling height (3.15 m effective) and non-rectangular shape help distribute modes more evenly.

Option C — Live Room Modal Estimate

Using effective interior dimensions ~410 x 220 (avg) x 315 cm:

Mode	Dimension (cm)	f1 (Hz)	f2 (Hz)	f3 (Hz)
Length (410 cm avg)	4.10 m	41.9	83.9	125.8
Width / Depth (220 cm)	2.20 m	78.2	156.4	234.5
Height (315 cm)	3.15 m	54.6	109.2	163.8

Option C's larger room pushes the first mode down to ~42 Hz — better low-frequency coverage.
f_Schroeder = 2000 x sqrt(0.20 / 28.4) = 2000 x 0.0839 = ~168 Hz
This is a significant improvement — the diffuse field extends lower, making the room acoustically superior for voice recording.

Note: Full modal analysis (axial, tangential, oblique modes + Bonello criterion) will be completed in Phase 3 after layout is confirmed. The non-rectangular geometry of the trapezoid rooms will require numerical methods for accurate mode predictions.

10. Questions for Layout Selection

11. Next Steps

Phase	Deliverable	Depends On
Phase 2b	Finalize layout dimensions from selected option	Q1-Q6 answers
Phase 3	Full acoustic calculations (RT60, NC, STC, modal, Schroeder, Bonello)	Phase 2b finalized dimensions
Phase 4	HVAC noise mitigation plan + silencer schedule	Phase 3 NC budgets
Phase 5	Construction details, BOM, contractor DXFs	Phase 3 + 4 confirmed
Phase 6	How-to guides with step-by-step illustrations	Phase 5 confirmed