Site & Building: One or two models?

[brent.130528]

Which is the best spproach?
1. Site and building in the same architectural model.
or
2. Site and building as two separate models.

I started a project as two models, but I am not so sure that is a good idea. Perhaps a single file with worksets would be better?

[cliff collins]

Depends on scope/scale of the project.

How large/complex are the Site and Building?

A small ( 20,000 SF, single story ) residential project witha small ( 1/2 acre or less,
and flat topography) Site will be OK in a single file.

Anything bigger than that should be separate linked models using Shared Coordinates.

cheers...........

[Steve_Stafford]

I think it has more to do with how early in the design process you are and if there is more than one building. If the design is moving around the site in search of a nice spot then a separate file for each makes relocating the building much "easier". If the building isn't going to change location and their is only ONE building then it isn't such a hardship to keep the site in the same file.

My personal preference is to use a separate model for site regardless because it makes moving the building around a fairly trivial matter. Practically every time I've heard, "The building isn't moving"...it has for one reason or another. Assuming it might and using a separate model just saves me later. Also when I've been told we don't need to worry about the adjacent buildings we've ended up worrying about them and separate files again make positioning them a bit easier. If neither happens, no harm done either.

The size, as Cliff suggests, has more to do with performance than the practical problem of dealing with site positioning.

[johnf.77896]

I think that always making separate file makes the most sense. Sometimes early on in a project you may not know the total scope of a project and even for smaller projects it makes great sense. Also the consistancy of always doing it the same way.

John Fleming
GMK Architecture, inc.

[patricks]

If you're going to do much grading of the topography, separate files makes it easier because you can have the topography in the site file at the actual elevation according to your survey, and then edit the topo points using real elevations.

If the topo is in the same model as the building, you're limited to editing points by elevations relative to your 0 elevation, which means lots of math and computing when trying to figure out what elevations various points need to be (Real finished floor elevation MINUS real point elevation = elevation relative to finished floor, etc.).

[Gadget Man]

I also use always two separate files - one for the Site, the other for the building. This is regardless of the project size. Just a good practice... I think.