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The only advice I can offer in concurrence with much of the other already given is for the mounting method onto the pier.
I dug a hole almost 1 metre square, and a metre deep. I placed quite a bit of steel within that hole, but welded it together. As the pier started (approx 30cm in diameter formed with surplus slow-combustion heater flue), I brought 4 star pickets up through the middle, evenly spaced and welded to the metalwork in the base. About 30cm below my intended pier height, I welded a length of 3/4" threaded rod on top of each of the star pickets. These extend approx75 cm past the top of the concrete I poured in the pier.
The large cubic base and pier were pretty much poured as one exercise.
The floor for the observatory (approx 100mm thick)was laid over the cubic base and separated from all by the expansion joint rubber stuff readily available from Bunnings inter al.
At the top of the pier, I have a steel plate with holes drilled to fit over the threaded rod(s). I levelled this plate with a sandwich of nuts above and below the plate at four points. The Mount (Tak EM200 in my case id fitted to that top steel plate.
If I need to change mounts, I can replace my existing steel plate with another fitted with an appropriate base for the new mount (maybe Paramount... dreaming).
My Obs is in suburbia, but I have no noticable vibration coming through from nearby road or foot traffic.
I also agree with a separate control-room area from the pier room.
I have a roll-off roof. My roof rolls back over the control room saving the real estate required.
HTH,
BC
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