This is a very interesting studio designed for a husband-and-wife team. The husband
originally contacted me with a request to build a homeopathic home office for his wife, who’s
a homeopath but has been unable to practice due to the health risks of operating from a
home office. This project inquiry came during COVID, and our solution was a custom
studio.
Incorporating Unique Requirements into the Design
We conceived an original design after a few consultations. Lakshmi, the homeopathic
practitioner, wanted a special area for the preparation of her medicines, a requirement
we incorporated into the design. The pair requested that the homeopathic home office be
north-facing and include a feature wall. We incorporated these requests into the design,
utilizing an Easy VJ board for the rear of the studio.
Overcoming Budget Constraints and COVID-related Delays
Despite the tight budget, we made a decision to include an air-conditioner after careful
consideration. We started building the studio before getting the necessary
permission, which took an extremely long time due to COVID. We have found that
obtaining the necessary permits and permissions from councils has taken a long time
over the past two years for everyone.
Off-site Manufacturing and Transportation Challenges
We manufactured the studio off-site using double-glazed windows. The studio cost was
$51,000, but it is now impossible to construct it at this price due to the serious shortage
of raw materials and the substantial increase in raw material prices we have
experienced. We eventually transported the studio on a flat tray and lowered it into
place using a 40-ton crane. The crane operation was a very difficult element, as we had to
have traffic management.
The homeopathic home office was to be situated in an area far below the road surface. As a result,
installation was no easy task. Prior to the studio being installed, a subfloor with sure
footings was manufactured. We drilled piles into the earth and created a subfloor using
3 mm RHS steel and joists to form a platform.
We drilled the piles into the earth to a depth of 1.6 meters, due to the reactive nature of
the soil, and then craned the studio into place. We have installed, painted, and finished
the studio finished, and it looks quite beautiful.
Galvanized Steel Frame and Soundproof Insulation
The homeopathic home office was made from a galvanized steel frame, soundproof insulation with R2.5
infilled into the walls, R2.5 foam board insulation in the subfloor, and R4 insulation in the
roof. The studio is surrounded by a deck and has an internal height measurement of 2.7
meters and an external height of 3.3 m.
The clients were very easy to work with on this project. They had key deadlines to meet
as they needed the studio for their business, which had stopped due to Covid. We did
our best to meet those deadlines and exceed their expectations, resulting in a stunning
new custom studio for their work.
