Ex Machina Soundworks

Built on the site of single-story garage in Bushwick, this project is a Swiss-army knife of audio technology.  The new two-story facility contains a recording studio, an R&D lab, a factory assembly room, an anechoic testing chamber, a lounge, a roof deck, and restrooms, storage rooms, and mechanical spaces.

The state-of-the-art recording studio is a room of extremely precise dimensions floating within a concrete-block box.  Compositionally, that CMU box emerges on the front façade of the building, where it was painted by a graffiti artist commissioned by the owner.  The rest of the façade is Corten steel and Kalwall panels.

The R&D lab is a secure facility for designing audio equipment for the recording industry.  It’s illuminated by simulated skylights by Coelux.  The large assembly room is a factory floor, daylit by a giant roof monitor.  

The anechoic chamber is a specialized room for testing audio equipment. It combines acoustical isolation with sound-wave absorption to produce one of the quietest places in North America.  This room is so silent, any occupants are limited to 15-minute exposure by OSHA regulations.  

Halfway up the building stair is a break-out lounge with a wet bar.  It’s surrounded by built-in planters flourishing under all the natural light.  The stair terminates at a roof deck with views of the Manhattan skyline. 

PROJECT INFO
Location
Bushwick, Brooklyn
Size
5500 s.f.
Year Completed
2023
General Contractor
Imian Partners LLC
Structural Engineer
Angelos Georgopoulos
Expediter
CODE LLC
Photographer
Jason Schmidt
MEP Engineer
Kohler Ronan