In Revit, "adding area types" primarily refers to creating and defining new Area Schemes, which serve as the fundamental categories for how areas are calculated and reported in your building model. Once an Area Scheme is defined, you can then create Area Plans based on that scheme to visualize and analyze space usage.
Understanding Area Types in Revit: Area Schemes
Area Schemes are highly versatile tools in Revit that allow you to segment and quantify building spaces according to various standards or project-specific needs. Common examples include:
- Gross Building Area (GBA): Typically encompasses the total area within the exterior faces of the building.
- Rentable Area: Calculated according to standards like BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) to determine the square footage that can be leased.
- Departmental Area: Custom schemes for internal space allocation based on departments or functions.
How to Define a New Area Scheme (Add a New Area Type)
To create a brand new area scheme in Revit, follow these steps:
- Access Area and Volume Computations: Navigate to the Manage tab on the Revit ribbon. In the Settings panel, click on Area and Volume Computations.
- Go to Area Schemes Tab: In the "Area and Volume Computations" dialog, switch to the Area Schemes tab.
- Create New Scheme: Click the New button.
- Name Your Scheme: A "New Area Scheme" dialog will appear. Enter a descriptive Name for your new area type (e.g., "BOMA Rentable Area," "Lease Area," "Core & Shell Area").
- Confirm: Click OK to create the new scheme. You can optionally rename existing schemes or delete custom ones from this dialog.
Once created, this new Area Scheme becomes available for selection when you generate Area Plans, allowing you to categorize and calculate areas specifically for that purpose.
Creating Area Plans Using Defined Area Schemes
After you've defined your Area Schemes, the next step is to create Area Plans. An Area Plan is a specific type of view in Revit that displays area boundaries, areas, and area tags for a selected Area Scheme and level.
Steps to Generate an Area Plan
Utilizing your defined area schemes to create detailed area plans is straightforward:
- Initiate Area Plan Creation: Go to the Architecture tab on the Revit ribbon. In the Room & Area panel, click the Area drop-down menu and select Area Plan.
- Select Area Scheme: The "New Area Plan" dialog will appear. For the Type option, select the desired area scheme from the drop-down list (e.g., "Gross Building," "Rentable," or your custom scheme like "BOMA Rentable Area").
- Choose Levels: Select one or more levels for which you want to create the area plan view(s).
- Tip: If you select multiple levels, Revit will automatically generate a separate area plan for each chosen level. These plans will then be conveniently grouped under their respective area scheme in the Project Browser, ensuring clear organization.
- Automatic Boundary Creation (Optional): You'll typically see a prompt asking if you'd like Revit to automatically create area boundaries associated with the external walls. It's often beneficial to click Yes as a starting point, as you can later modify these boundaries as needed.
- Confirm: Click OK to generate the area plan(s).
Managing and Refining Area Plans
After creating an Area Plan, you will find the new view(s) in the Project Browser under the "Area Plans" section, organized by Area Scheme. From here, you can:
- Adjust Area Boundaries: Use the Area Boundary tool (Architecture tab > Room & Area panel) to draw or modify lines that define the extents of your areas. These lines are crucial for accurate area calculations.
- Place Areas: Use the Area tool (Architecture tab > Room & Area panel) to place area elements within your defined boundaries. Each area will automatically report its square footage based on the boundary.
- Add Area Tags: Use the Area Tag tool to label your areas with information such as name and square footage directly on the plan.
- Create Area Schedules: Generate schedules to quantify areas across multiple levels or for different categories within a single scheme.
Practical Insights for Area Management
- Consistency is Key: Establish clear guidelines for defining area boundaries within your team to ensure consistent calculations across the project.
- BOMA Standards: For commercial projects, understanding and implementing BOMA standards (e.g., using specific Area Schemes for Rentable Area) is critical. You can find detailed information on official BOMA guides.
- Phasing Integration: Area calculations can be tied to project phases, allowing you to track area changes over time during design or construction.
- Room vs. Area: Remember that Revit's "Rooms" are generally for interior space planning and scheduling, while "Areas" are for broader building analysis and compliance with area measurement standards. You can convert Room Boundary Lines to Area Boundary Lines for efficiency.
By leveraging Area Schemes and Area Plans effectively, you can gain powerful insights into your building's spatial data, supporting design decisions, lease agreements, and facility management.
Comparison of Key Area Management Tools
| Feature | Area Schemes | Area Plans | Area Boundaries | Areas & Area Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Defines methods for area calculation/categorization | Visualizes and reports areas based on a scheme | Defines the perimeter of an area | Labels and quantifies individual areas |
| Creation | Manage tab > Area and Volume Computations | Architecture tab > Area drop-down | Architecture tab > Room & Area panel | Architecture tab > Room & Area panel |
| Output | A new area type available for use | A specific view in the Project Browser | Invisible lines on a plan | Visible elements with data on a plan |
| Key Use Case | Gross Building, Rentable, Custom Definitions | Space planning, leasing, code compliance | Defining net/gross areas | Reporting area metrics, visualization |
