The planning and built of My Gameroom

[ckong]

It started with a Donkey Kong cab, back in October. And we are now only a few months further in time, but my classic game collection did already grow to six cabs, including the upcoming Star Wars cockpit. And I’m sure that there will be more cab purchases in the future (thanks DartNuno and all the others for infecting me).

And besides the classic cabs I already had 5 Japanese candy cabs and a few Mame cabs. Until recently I could store most of the cabs in an empty room in my house, but that empty room will now very soon become our master bedroom.

Therefore most of my cabs are stored somewhere in a storage facility. I only have one Candy cab and DK in the house. What a shame.  

So, it is really time to get a gameroom. But we don’t have space for that in our house. However, we were already planning to built a shed to store our bikes, garden tools, motorbike, etc, and I think that it will be a good idea to combine it with a gameroom.

The idea is to built a wooden shed and insulate it from the inside. The largest part of the shed, where the gameroom will be located, will have an attic. Therefore I will also insulate the ceiling of the gameroom (which is the floor of the attic).

The outside will look similar like this, although doors and windows will be located a bit different:



The inside will be an exact copy of this:



Yeah, dream on Erik, there is no way that that will happen. ‘But I am allowed to catch that atmosphere, am I not?’ Sure, go ahead and do your best. By the way, I got this photo from the website of Peter Hirschberg (http://lunacityarcade.com/photos.htm ). Peter, I hope that you don’t mind that I used one of your beautiful photo’s to document my dream.

So, in this topic I will document my gameroom dream, plans and built. I hope to get a lot of useful information and other input.

[ckong]

As mentioned above the shed will have a wooden structure and outside, which will be built by a professional builder. The builder will only built the outer walls and the roof. I will do the remaining work, like insulating the floor and the walls, make extra walls and rooms on the inside, put an attic in it, take care of the electrical system, etc. Fortunately I have some friends to help me if I get stuck.

This is the floor plan after the builder left the building. The outer measurements of the shed are 10 meters x 6 meters, the ceiling of the gameroom will be 2.35 meter high.



Note: the separate room will be built by me. This is only two walls and a door. That I can do!

And here is a first blueprint of how the gameroom could be arranged:



A little explanation: on the left side there is a separate room for garden tools, bikes, etc. On the top left there is room for a desk or bench and this will also be the place where I will have room to play (retro) console games. The brown box left to the frontdoor is a cabinet to store game PCB’s and other game related stuff. In total there is room for  about 15 cabs (which means that I have to be very picky about future cab purchases), of which one is the Star Wars cockpit (bottom right). Between two windows there is room for my Star Wars Pachinko.

On the top right there is a room (without a door) where I want to line up my Candy cabs. I want this to be separated from the ‘classic game department’ because Japanese Candy Cabs have a complete different look and feel around them. See this picture and you know what I mean:

 

I want to create that atmosphere more or less in this separated room. But I will not put a door in it because I want people to be able to walk easily in and out.

All this stuff is just a first blueprint. I haven’t decided anything yet  and I am curious about other people’s opinion.

[Superully]

looking nice, erik, but i would drop the idea of integrating the shed for the tools and bikes into the gameroom, because it is taking away a looot of space. have a look at how many cabs you could put there . why not make an extension for the tools on the outside of the building? and while you're at it, why not make the gameroom bigger, after all you have a huge park eh garden at your disposal

[petieken]

That looks very good! The layout leaves enough room to add a couple more cabs if necessary (with a little rearrangement). At the rate you're buying cabs now I expect this is going to happen even before the 'shed' is finished .

[baritonomarchetto]

You really started only 4 month ago your collecting adventure!?  And you just have a Star Wars Cokpit? It's so beautiful...

Very nice gameroom you are planning: on which month do you estimate the open day?

 

[ckong]

why not make an extension for the tools on the outside of the building? and while you're at it, why not make the gameroom bigger, after all you have a huge park eh garden at your disposal

Yes, I know, but my wife ..... budget ..... my wife ..... building regulations (I am restricted to a maximum building surface) ..... my wife, and last but not least, budget. And I really also need a decent shed for non-gaming stuff. Everything has to be sensible and in perspective.

[ckong]

You really started only 4 month ago your collecting adventure!?  And you just have a Star Wars Cokpit? It's so beautiful...

Very nice gameroom you are planning: on which month do you estimate the open day?

 

I already started playing Candy cabs about 18 months ago, but yes, it wasn't before October that I started my classic cab collection.

I don't know yet when the grand opening will be, but I aim at somewhere in June or July. You're invited of course, as is everybody else who wants to come.

[Etienne MacGyver]

I like your plans !

if i only had the time, money, space, blessing of my wife  

i like the part that you reserve some space for gardening etc etc.

maybe you could squeeze out some space to put the garden tools in the attic , and only the bikes in the shed ?

anyway, i like it

when do i need to bring the sausages for the opening barbeque ?  

[DarthNuno]

The inside will be an exact copy of this:

Hey, how did you get that picture from my v3?   

Wow... what a project, but... as you say... you have to do it... so many 'stuff' to store 

Good luck for this project 

 

[gyruss]

Damn, that looks like a dream come true!! Makes me quite jealous 

[level42]

I agree, way to much space for the garden stuff, tools etc.

The extra wall for the candy's is a great idea, I agree about them being "something else".

One thing I miss in my gameroom (as you have seen) is a workspace like you planned for. It's also great to be able to have a cab in that area. Can't wait to see it finished.

I actually did inquire about that carpet but it was WAY to expensive for me. Plus, it's not a really practical surface IMHO, I love my tiles.

[ckong]

Guys, I need some input about heating the place. The outer walls of the shed will be made out of wooden shelves, about 18 mm thick Siberian Lariks. I plan to use about 8-10 cm of Rockwool or something like that to insulate the walls and the ceiling of the gameroom (the part above the work- and storageroom will have no ceiling) and the I will finish the walls off with MDF or plasterboard. I will also insulate the concrete floor.

But a good insulated room still can, and will be very cold during winter times, So, I will need some kind of heating. There are some choices in heating of course, but what would be the easiest, sufficient and cheapest way given the fact that I will not make a gaspipe to the shed for a central heating system. I will choose another way of heating. And I will not put floor heating in it. So, which options are left?

Oil filled mobile radiators (as Bruno has I believe)?
Electrical heating (mobile radiators?)?
Infrared heating?
Other?

[petieken]

Your only option is electrical heating then, and I think the oil filled radiators are the most efficient.

[Etienne MacGyver]

I dont know how far the shed will be located from the house, but maybe its efficient to put one of these isolated pipes in the ground from your existing central heating system.

this is what i put between my friends house and his garage for the heater (he converted his garage to a office)

[DarthNuno]

Oil filled mobile radiators (as Bruno has I believe)?

Yes, I got a good one when I've started the V1... and I use the same one for heating also the V2. When I say the same one, I mean the ONLY one I have! ... the one who is heating the two rooms!

I'm happy with the result BUT

...because it's up & running 24/24 365 days per year, it cost me a lot of money!!! Because of it, it *DOUBLE* the price of my monthly electricity bill  I'm sure the one I'm using is just too small for the volume of both room.
I'll change that when I'll work on that subject for the V3...