inside a building inside an office building

We framed the first wall on the floor and leaned it against the back wall. The project started with a nice clean open space on clean concrete and drywall walls. If you need a small space inside a big space, this project can be quite useful. Door and window openings were planned with a recycled pre-hung door and a double-pane patio panel already on site.

The stud layout and joist layout were 16 in. Materials consisted of a stack of 2×4 for studs and plates, 2×6 for headers and joists, plywood for the deck, and drywall. Why not two? Because two opposing walls were necessary to support the storage deck that would act as a roof for the office. Since we were working in a finished corner of the shop, we could get away with framing three walls. Not a lot of planning went into the design, just enough to get a decent material list. If you can tie into the existing wall, you can use a ledger board and joist hangers in place of one of the framed walls. We needed this structure to be as freestanding as possible because it was a rented space, and the office would potentially need to be removed (although we find that the owners or next tenants are often happy to take advantage of our improvements). As an added bonus, the roof structure was built to deck specs to provide additional storage space. The office would provide a cleaner environment for computer equipment, a place to get in out of the cold, and a way to secure valuables when friends of friends come to check on car projects.

Making a separate, warmer (or cooler), cleaner, more secure or quieter environment often involves a roof structure as well as walls.įor the project featured here, the need was for a small 8×10- ft. Whatever the use, creating these small rooms in larger structures is often more like building a building inside a building than simply making a partition or two. It can be used to stock parts, house tools, provide a cozy break room, or to hang a deer or two. Sometimes it’s intended to house sensitive computer equipment or to build engines in a controlled environment. Sometimes it’s an office or a bathroom (or both) in the corner of the shop. The uses for this separate space are varied. It can be inside a garage, a shop, a barn or some type of a commercial structure. Someone needs a room or two inside a larger structure. The situation comes up more often than you might think.

Alternative Heating & Fireplace Insertsīuilding a building inside a building By Larry Walton.

Inside a building inside an office building