Shortly after launching two smaller podcast studios on the 7th floor, our dream began to grow. Faster then I had expected, I was asked to draw up plans for two larger studios. Unfortunately this meant, the production department would have to relocate to another floor to make room for the expansion.

With plans in hand and a green light from the leadership team, our goal will was to take over most of the remaining 7th floor. Take a closer look at the master floor plan.

DAY 1: Monday, July 16, 2007 Demolition begins!

DAY 2: Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Office walls continue to be removed and workers begin the process of taking down the ceiling, so our new 1,000 square foot video studio can reach to the rafters. As well, the central air-conditioning unit will be removed and reinstalled outside the studio for greater sound reduction.

View construction photos from week 1.

Week 4: Thursday, August 16, 2007
Walls go up in preparation for air-conditioning unit to be reinstalled.

David Jones, senior producer, and Michelle Geries, office manager, inspect new air-conditioning vents to be installed into the outside studio wall. Far right, Mark Pool, master electrician, roughs in electrical components before the walls are sealed. (Above are series of photos taken with my new iPhone)

Week 11: Friday, October 5, 2007
With the air-conditioning unit and walls complete, Integrated Lighting Systems of Tulsa installs our lighting grid.

Using Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, below are the first of four studio sets.

View studio rendering at larger scale.

At the last minute, I decided to replace the the centered windows with one large arched window to give the set that brick loft feel. My goal is to make this set as authentic as possible, so I’m having them constructed entirely in wood. I found a company in Colorado the makes fake brick that is light as a feather.

With only a few minor tweaks and adding proper studio lighting, my loft set is almost complete.

Although it’s not the final studio lighting, I reset the house lights this afternoon to better reflect the look I’m going for. For example, I’ll use colored lights to back light the windows and brick columns.

Check out my loft set.
(Be sure to scroll down the page.)