My biggest arcade project so far: The building of gameroom "Level 42"

[Level42]

You might wonder, but what you see here is the very first (physical) step of creating my Game Room:
Removing some plants/bushes that had become pretty tall and wild:




Well, let's call it a mess. We call these things "gardens" over here, but you might refer to it as a "back-yard". The thing is, I've been planning the Game Room for a long time and following we didn't do a lot of maintenance, which the weeds etc. clearly show....

Anyway, the plan is demolishing that small shack and replacing it with a big one (across the full width of the garden). It will be about 7 meters wide by 3 meters deep.

I've requested a permit for the construction with my local council, hope to get it within about 3 weeks.

I live in an area where the ground is very soft and there's a lot of water in the ground. For this reason, we need long piles to support the construction. Four of these piles will carry a concrete floor. The rest will be a wood construction with Keralit (www.keralit.nl) which are "plastic" panels that look like wood.

Of course some good isolation and ventilation and I have some pretty exciting plans for the inside.

[polaris]

so out of interest is the 7m by 3m gonna be full straight away, do i need to point your wife to this thread 
 

good stuff, hope the plans are approved soon for you

[Level42]

Haha, yeah, I know Bruno's game-palace ! Had the honour of visiting him a day and enjoyed it very much. However I haven't got half the number of machines that Bruno owns. It will be pretty full right away though. I will need to reserve a (small) section for our bicicles, all the wheeled toys of my son and some garden stuff, (basically the function of the old shack) so that is subtracted from the 7x3 regretfully....

Anyway, there's room for about 13 regular cabs, but of course I got the SW cockpit and the Konami GT cockpit too. We'll see how it goes, it should be able to house all games I currently own.

Here's a quick & dirty 3d and 2d idea (couldn't find any more game 3D models, that explains all the DK's and Galaga's)

[Level42]

Planning the SW cockpit on the backwall (where you see the guy standing). Looking into ordering the Atari SW poster on wall-paper to cover the entire end-wall. Planning on installing some glass-fiber over-head lighting which should represent space

I'm thinking of a deep red color for the long walls.

I've got plenty of neon stuff to include:

[Mauzy]

Where did those gameroom signs come from? I need one! (when I get money....and a game room...)

[Level42]

A German guy had these made in China on special order. My friend Luc has bought a part of the stock and I'm sure he has some left.

PatrickL was nice enough to pick up the "pac man" sign for me in Frankfurt (he was also getting one for himself and going out for the weekend there) and bring it to me.
The price was €100,-

The "pinball" version I got from my friend Luc as a "thank you" for working on his Star Wars cabs.

I'm sure he has some left. I'll ask him and get back to you. 

[ratzz]

Now this is one project announcement that I can't wait to see finish!!!

What's your budget for this?

[Level42]

Enough....

[polaris]

i'm liking the neon , if i ever did a room i'd go with neon rather than the blacklight so often chosen, i hate blacklight.
is the size your going for the limit that planning allows in your garden?
 

i cant see the afro smiley
 

[Level42]

Yes. We are allowed to build 75% max.

Also, I do still want to keep some garden, where else will I arrange my grand Game Room opening BBQ

[Level42]

Changed the thread title as nobody seems to object to it's section...

[Kevin Mullins]

What's your budget for this?

Enough....

Oh we all know it's never "enough".   

Looking forward to your progress.
Will have to make a trip across the pond one of these days maybe to check the Dutch scene out.
 

[SavannahLion]

Your shed looks like it's part of the shed your neighbor is using. How does your neighbor feel about you tearing down his shed?

[Level42]

No problem. Do you see the big shed that is behind mine ? There used to be a small one just like mine against my shed. Those sheds were placed there when the home's were built new (12 years ago). It's like one big shed with 4 sections.
So yes, I do need to carefully take away "my" parts and make a nice wall against his shed (we'll leave the original seperating "wall" in there), but that is not too big a deal.

Well spotted though !

Kevin (& my other friends here): If you ever visit the country, just let me know and you're always welcome here !

[Muerto]

weeeh!
congratulations!!! - just want to wish you the best of luck with your project!

i just finished my game room, so i know what work leys ahead!!!

you can see my gameroom progress here: http://spaceinvaders.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=1032&start=0

[Level42]

Thanks ! Your room looks great, wish I had so much space !!! It's really fun to see how other people build their game-rooms. You put a lot of glass in there !


I'm going to try to capture the feel of an intimate "dark" arcade. Apart from the doors, there will be no windows. This will require to install "service" lighting and "play" lighting. For the "play" lighting I will make a test-set up how the neon's will look combined. They produce a lot of light really.

I'm full of plans, not sure if all will work out but first I need the freaking permit :S

[TOK]

Thanks ! Your room looks great, wish I had so much space !!! It's really fun to see how other people build their game-rooms. You put a lot of glass in there !

I'm going to try to capture the feel of an intimate "dark" arcade. Apart from the doors, there will be no windows. This will require to install "service" lighting and "play" lighting. For the "play" lighting I will make a test-set up how the neon's will look combined. They produce a lot of light really.

I'm full of plans, not sure if all will work out but first I need the freaking permit :S

I was wondering the same thing about the windows. My gameroom is being converted from a Florida (sun) room, and I'm having to pull windows out... Its just too hard to control the light and make it "feel" like an arcade, particularly in the summer months when its light here until 9pm.

[Ummon]

I'm full of plans, not sure if all will work out but first I need the freaking permit :S

You only need to request one, though? Here you also have to pay for one.

As for light, heavy curtains work. I use 'em every night when I go to sleep. Of course, having no windows means there are none to clean. Um, if you do windows, you know.

Nice multiple double-doors in Muerto's there.

And smashin idea to put that acoustic insulation on the ceiling in Nuno's. Interesting using carpet for the walls. Nice color. (Killer color scheme with that carpet, too.) But what was with all that for the floor? Why tile then cover it and all that? And I'm surprised you didn't cover that hole right off.

[Muerto]

You put a lot of glass in there !

Yep, put the plan is, like Ummon said, to put up heavy curtens, and the doubledoors a great when mooving arcademachines

[Level42]

I'm full of plans, not sure if all will work out but first I need the freaking permit :S

You only need to request one, though? Here you also have to pay for one.

Of course, I will have to pay for the permit too.

[Blanka]

Of course, I will have to pay for the permit too.

It's not totally "of course"! If you would have kept the gameroom 1 m from the edges of the plot, you don't even need a permit. With plenty of ground the government sees no money. But those bitches in The Hague knew that everyone needs the extensions to be on the edge of plots with all our crammed gardens, so that they would end up receiving those building fees anyway. A hidden widener of the wealth gap! People in small houses pay more on building permits!

My solution: Ask a permit for the outer one meter (permit goes as percentage of building costs) and build the area within for free.

A suggestion as alternative to Keralit:
http://www.platowood.nl/bouwproducten/oslosheet.htm
Real wood with the same maintenance characteristics.

[ChadTower]

Nice, Jim.  Real nice.

How much electrical capacity do you plan on?  How many circuits?  Cooling or just passive venting?

[SithMaster]

Nice, Jim.  Real nice.

How much electrical capacity do you plan on?  How many circuits?  Cooling or just passive venting?

Jim is all class.   

What about heating?  For passive cooling you could have your garden grow up the sides and roof of the shed.

For lighting you could always have sky lights with some sort of dimmer (hit a switch and the windows get covered a little).

[Level42]

Sith, not a bad idea about the sky lights !


Jim: Yes. We live with 16 million people on a very small piece of this world. The vast majority of the population lives in an even smaller area, so it's "worse" there.
So we don't all have lots of area's of ground and large houses. However, I've seen how people in other parts of this world live that are equally populated that look a LOT worse. I guess it's what you're used too really. I also live in the busiest part of that small country but I'm happy.
And yes we live like rats: we're intelligent, we're clean, we're socially involved, we know our neighbors and take care of each-other.

I could also sum up a number of (other) advantages of living in this country compared to yours, but the last thing I want to do is turn this into a political debate.

Not sure about the heating yet. I'm thinking of heating the floor so that it will heat up the room very evenly.  I've seen infrared-foil that you can put under your floor but it's pretty expensive and I'm worried about energy costs. My home has a central heating system with radiators, not sure if I could extend it to the shed. I'll ask my neighboor who has his own company in heating.

The last 15 years the winters are not very tough around here anymore but you never know. At least I need to keep the machines "comfortable". When playing, the warming of the cabs helps a lot in heating the room. It will be well isolated. I've mentioned I need excellent ventilation to the guy who will be basically building this all. This is also the reason why I didn't choose bricks. Lots of people overhere would use a single-brick wall (like the neighbor right behind me) but that will mean it'll be damp inside and very bad for the machines. I'd have to build a double-brick wall with isolation, but then I'd loose too much space.

Blanka: You're right on every word.

[Level42]

About electricity: I was planning to use two circuits ("groups" as we call them). Each group can handle 3600 watts. Should be enough (depending on the choice of heating).

I will make double contact power outlets "between" two cabs. Definitely want to make them remotely switchable per cab, think I'll go for a radio-controlled system. That's least expensive and easiest to install.
Think I will make fixed switches for the lights.

[HaRuMaN]

I could also sum up a number of (other) advantages of living in this country compared to yours, but the last thing I want to do is turn this into a political debate.

De Wallen?

[patrickl]

Hey that's cool. Finally creating the space for all your cabs. Maybe you should plan ahead and already ask for a permit for a second floor

Here's a quick & dirty 3d and 2d idea (couldn't find any more game 3D models, that explains all the DK's and Galaga's)

Good choice. You can never have too many Galaga cabs

[Matthew Fisher]

I could also sum up a number of (other) advantages of living in this country compared to yours, but the last thing I want to do is turn this into a political debate.

One of the greatest has to be that you can get Korenwolf  and we can't!     One of my sisters-in-law lives in Alkmaar and I've got to say that I love the place.  By the way, the game room plan looks pretty nice... 

[patrickl]

I could also sum up a number of (other) advantages of living in this country compared to yours, but the last thing I want to do is turn this into a political debate.

One of the greatest has to be that you can get Korenwolf  and we can't!     One of my sisters-in-law lives in Alkmaar and I've got to say that I love the place.  By the way, the game room plan looks pretty nice... 

With "Korenwolf", do you mean the little rat that's on the endangered species list? 



Well I guess you know the crature, IIRC it's displayed on the label of the beer.

Anyway, Level42 better hope he doesn't have one of those critters his backyard or the the permit is not going to happen 

[SavannahLion]

Anyway, Level42 better hope he doesn't have one of those critters his backyard or the the permit is not going to happen 

I knew someone who had a similar problem. Couldn't get a permit for his cattle. About a year later, a huge fire breaks out. Six months later, permit granted. Not that I'm saying there's any sort of connection between the two.

Back on topic. That's wild that shed is shared with two others (I only initially spotted the one). It's hard for me to live like that. I threw a fit when the neighbor decided to use our fence to support his fence. Too bad I have to put new posts in this year. 

So the way it works, you're going to be tearing down the neighboring walls of your neighbors sheds and putting new ones in? What do you do if the neighbor refuses to let you do so? That stops your project?

[Kevin Mullins]

So the way it works, you're going to be tearing down the neighboring walls of your neighbors sheds and putting new ones in? What do you do if the neighbor refuses to let you do so? That stops your project?

So yes, I do need to carefully take away "my" parts and make a nice wall against his shed (we'll leave the original seperating "wall" in there), but that is not too big a deal.

I picture it kinda like we do out here when there is what we call a "lean-to" built on the side of a barn or something. If you decide to tear down the lean-to you would not tear down the barn wall, just the attached lean-to portion.

[Level42]

Savannah: The sheds do have walls inside, it's not like I have to share an "open" shed with my neighbors.

The neighbor who already built the bigger shed left the original "wall" between his and my shed intact when he built his. Behind it, is his "outer" wall (also because his shed is taller now). So we will remove the old "wall" on that side. On the right side of the current shed, we will keep that current wall and put ours in front of it. It's indeed a bit like Kevin shows.

Korenwolfs are extremely rare and live only in a very small area in the very south of Holland. So that one won't stop my permit

Stupid council wants construction calculations !    I told them I was going to build a shed, not a ten story building.....jeeess...
I explained that I thought that they should be able to know if the construction is safe enough by looking at the wood construction, the diameters of the wood used etc. No dice. Also pointed out that if I would buy a pre-made shed, would I also need those calculations. Answer (I already expected that one, I know how people at governments "think"): But you're not building a pre-fab shed, are you ? !!!!! 

I have no clue how to calculate that stuff, the builder will have to come up with those ! 
At least they didn't stop the judgement process. They will give off the permit (_if_ they will) with the provision that I have to hand-over those calculations at least 3 weeks before I start building. Effectively that means the same, because as soon as I have the permit I want to start !

Governments, councils, you gotta love them.

[patrickl]

Yeah, I was wondering if you weren't taking this permit thing a bit too lightly. You might need a "constructeur" to make the calculations.

Did they ask you for a soil probing ("sondering") for the foundation/pillars?

[Ummon]

I'm not sure I get it. Why would you even need to tell them if you bought a prefab? People here buy them all the time. Even if they're custom, and sometimes very large, since they don't have concrete foundations, they're clear of regulation. Far as I know anyways.

[patrickl]

I'm not sure I get it. Why would you even need to tell them if you bought a prefab? People here buy them all the time. Even if they're custom, and sometimes very large, since they don't have concrete foundations, they're clear of regulation. Far as I know anyways.

In the Netherlands you need a building permit if you build a structure in your backyard within one meter from the perimeter.

[SavannahLion]

I'm not sure I get it. Why would you even need to tell them if you bought a prefab? People here buy them all the time. Even if they're custom, and sometimes very large, since they don't have concrete foundations, they're clear of regulation.

Here is the key word.

Savannah: The sheds do have walls inside, it's not like I have to share an "open" shed with my neighbors.

No, I got that. I just didn't understand if there was a single wall between both sheds or if it's two walls facing each other.

[Level42]

Good news. A couple of weeks ago I got the permit.

However, there's been a change of plans. We will not be using piles. I got a price for piles and the hole lower concrete construction and was not amused. It nearly doubled the initial price.

So I asked around and I've now got another contractor and we will skip the piles. I know there's a risk, but I'll take it. We'll be using what this guy calls the "turned-over shoebox" technique. Basically we will dig out the size of the room and poor concrete in there and then also have a raised floor poored at once. So the whole floor and carrying parts will be one solid piece.

All else remains the same. Building will start nov. 24th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will need to prepare some stuff first though (like moving cabs to a temporary location)....keep your eye on this thread, I am _SO_ exited

[Trebeck]

Dude.
I salute you.

 

[Blanka]

You can also build it like a houseboat or like roads in the "polder". Just use Styrofoam to compensate for the weight of the whole building, so it floats on the groundwater.

And above all: use enough iron in the concrete. If your gameroom sinks, it sinks at one piece at least.

[Level42]

You can also build it like a houseboat or like roads in the "polder". Just use Styrofoam to compensate for the weight of the whole building, so it floats on the groundwater.

And above all: use enough iron in the concrete. If your gameroom sinks, it sinks at one piece at least.

Yup, exactly the plan Blanka ! And Trebeck: thank you !