West Valley Studio Santa Clara Valley, California Music Studio development, Architecture Photos

West Valley Studio in Santa Clara Valley, California

May 31, 2023

Design: nonzero\architecture

Location: Santa Clara Valley, California, USA

Photos: Atelier Taiyo

West Valley Studio, California, USA

The owners of this newly acquired residential property had been looking for a site with enough space for an accessory building to house a personal recording studio as well as a gym and a pool. The upslope flag lot was just wide enough to accommodate a building, with a long driveway for privacy and to allow for the secondary structure to sit in front of and below the main residence.

Placing the personal studio and production facility for the producer and songwriter husband at the lower level helped create some distance from the house and aided in the soundproofing. The upper level is taken up by the gym, outdoor decks and a new pool and hot tub for the health-conscious young couple.

The pool level forms a natural transition and mediates the sloping topography between the structures. The new building follows the contours of the hill and driveway, but the main roof creates a countermove by sloping up and opening up to the sky to the east.

The studio consists of a tall, airy and light-filled recording room, complemented by an equally generous adjacent control and production room. Also included are a private visitor’s lounge and a sky-lit awards and art gallery that forms a guided pathway to the main studio entrance.

The live recording space features angular ceilings with integrated color-changing light strips and a faceted and triangulated pegboard wall, both designed to optimize the acoustics in the space. Tall windows offer daylight and views to the greenery outside, but can be closed with automated shades for privacy and a more intimate feel.

The control room has many of the same features and is equipped with a custom-built walnut workstation desk and massive freestanding main speakers. Acoustic diffusers in the rear wall are made from the same wood and are framed by a pair of windows leading to the day-lit gallery and entrance hallway.

The mostly white color scheme throughout the building is accented with dark gray fabric panels and a polished concrete floor. The gym above the studio opens up to the deck and all of its four walls feature large windows. The pegboard recurs here again on the ceiling and the floor is covered in rubber.

Discrete flat screens in wood frames are displaying digital art when not used as TV and video monitors, contributing to a serene and residential feeling in the building.

What was the brief?
The intent was to relieve the owners from commuting and enhance the flow and usability of the suburban lot. The additions were to be connected for a seamless experience, but still provide privacy. The new building was to include a music recording and production studio, a gym and outdoor recreational facilities, such as a pool and generous decks.

What were the key challenges?
The key challenge was to fit the program into a building that could be accommodated on the tight lot, while navigating the hillside and connect, rather than separate the different areas while maintaining privacy.

What were the solutions?
The solution was to place the new building along the existing driveway, put the recurring studio spaces on the ground floor and partially tuck them into the hill. The upper floor with its close connections to the outdoor areas, forms the transition between the levels and negotiates the terrain with a natural flow.

How is the project unique?
The combination of an added music studio and a private exercise and recreation facility sets this project apart from other residential accessory buildings. The goal was to take advantage of this unique program and to use it to enhance the site as a whole and to improve the integration of the building into the hillside topography and landscape.

West Valley Studio in Santa Clara Valley, California – Building Information

Architecture: nonzero\architecture – Great Park
Project Budget: 0.00
Completion date: 2019
Building levels: 2

construction company: Greeniron Constructs Inc

Photography: Atelier Taiyo

West Valley Studio, Santa Clara Valley, California images / information received 310523

Location: Santa Clara Valley, California, USA

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