When designing their ‘green’ 5,000-sq-ft Victorian home in the Washington, DC-area, Matt MacPhail and wife, Ann Lyles MacPhail, were committed to using sustainable, efficient building techniques and materials.

They were also set on a having professionally designed, acoustically superlative recording studio to serve their thriving audio production business, News At Eleven Productions.

The MacPhails have been producing music and voiceovers for nearly 20 years, for clients including IBM, Boeing, MasterCard and Bank of the West. Having done this work in a variety of quirky, makeshift home recording spaces, the MacPhails knew their growing client base required a dedicated studio. ‘We had problems with sound leakage and ventilation in our old studios,’ explains Matt. ‘And, clients always had to step over our kids’ toys and through our messy kitchen when they came to work with us. We really wanted to do it right, and that meant bringing in an absolute pro this time around.’

Located 22 feet below street level in the sub-basement of the MacPhails’ home, the new facility is called Undisclosed Location Studios – a tongue-in-cheek reference to its convenient proximity to the political power centres of downtown DC and the Pentagon.

WSDG-Walters-Storyk Design Group kept appearing in the MacPhails’ research on top-flight studios. ‘I had a great initial conversation with WSDG founding partner John Storyk, and even sat in on a lecture he presented to American University audio production students here in DC,’ Matt says. ‘When we were ready to build, we were confident WSDG would develop the best possible design.’

‘We met with the MacPhails’ residential architect at the earliest design stage,’ reports WSDG Project Engineer, Matthew Ballos. ‘They wanted to be sure that their studio did not disturb their neighbours in any way, and that their new home would blend in with the style of the neighbourhood. With these considerations in mind, we decided that putting the studio in a sub-basement was the best way to provide the acoustic isolation they wanted.’

‘The 1,300-sq-ft main studios feature a spacious 245-sq-ft control room and three isolation booths to meet the varied music, voiceover and postproduction requirements of the MacPhails and their clients,’ Ballos adds. ‘We developed a custom ceiling cloud for the control room to fine tune the ‘sweet spot’ and contribute an aesthetic finishing touch. We even built a separate entrance at the side of the house that leads directly to the studio, so clients never have to go through the residential part of their home.’

Just up the stairs from the studio is the MacPhails’ elegant home theatre, which doubles as a screening room for client projects. Designed and equipped by WSDG, the theatre is outfitted with a 114-inch Stewart front projection screen and a full compliment of top-flight gear. WSDG’s Judy Elliott-Brown, who designed the facility’s Systems Integration, developed sophisticated electronic connectivity between the theatre and the studio’s control room. With these connections, the room goes way beyond fun movie nights with friends and neighbours; it’s also perfect for professional applications such as recording narration and ADR, and for presenting 7.1 surround mixes to clients.

The dual-use theme continues in the MacPhails’ living room. This acoustically treated
space features a Steinway Model O grand piano, a 22-ft cathedral ceiling, and a NanaWall sliding glass partition to provide isolation from the adjacent kitchen. ‘The acoustics are amazing,’ says Ann. ‘This is where we entertain friends, and the piano is a big part of that. But the opportunity to record in here was too good to pass up.’ So WSDG installed a full complement of microphone, line-level and data tie lines to the main studio. This allows the MacPhails to use the space as both a living room and a live room.

‘Now, we can blend the personal and professional sides of our home, but only when we really want to,’ says Ann. ‘Our neighbours are always surprised when we show them the theater and the studio, because no sound leaks in or out, and the recording spaces are so well hidden in the design of the house. You’d never know we have such a high-end studio beneath our quiet Victorian home, and that’s exactly what we wanted.’

‘WSDG created an extraordinary studio for us,’ Matt concludes. ‘The sound, the look and the feel of our new studio far exceed our initial hopes. Having rooms like these not only puts our clients at ease; it enhances our professionalism and inspires our creativity.’