First highrise project- how would you put it together?

[jameswest77]

Our office has five employees with limited Revit experience. We can make a good model, but we lack a deeper understanding of many of Revit's more powerful production tools- which is where my question to you comes in.

We're tasked with the preliminary design phase of a number of highrise apartments. In the end, there will only be three unique floors: the bottom one, the middle 30, and the top one. We are wrapping up the floor plans, in Revit, that make up the middle of the highrises, and have yet to complete the upper and bottom floors.

This is schematic design, meaning all the basic components will be on the plans: walls, doors, windows, furniture, appliances, casework, etc- but no utility or or anything structural. The elevations will be fully flushed out with a neoclassical style full of multi-story columns, cornices, pediments, balustrades, etc.

My question to you is: what would be the most efficient way to put all this together? We have the skills to make the plans and elevations for the whole thing, but I have to think with either workgroups, linked files, or some other method there would be a better way to do it. Besides, we'd like to get multiple people working on this at the same time. Additionally, if each floor could be worked on separately then it'll be a lighter load on the workstations, which are pretty powerful, but get bogged down with dozens of linked files.

So, what do you think? What approach would you take?

Thanks,
James West
Willamette Architecture 360

[cliff collins]

Here's how we'd suggest setup:

1. Shell and Core model for exterior walls, columns, roof, floor slabs, elevators, stairs, shafts. Grids and Levels on Shared levels and grids workset.

2. Interior Fitout model, containing Groups of the individual apartment units. Link this into the Shell and Core model with Shared Coordinates.

Both of these models will be Central Files, with Worksets enabled so multiple team members can work on various portions of them.

This is a good place to start.

You may also have a Site Model, which can be linked as well.

There is a lot of good info in this Forum regarding multi-story projects.
Do some searching here on Linked models, Groups, Shared locations, Custom visibility settings for linked models, setting up sheets and schedules with linked models, etc.

cheers

[nancy.mcclure]

I like Cliff's approach. I'd add:

Let the Shell model set the Origin and Levels and Grids. Use Copy/Monitor on the Interior Fitout model to keep coordinated. Keep vertical circulation in the shell model. If you DO plan to coordinate with a Revit Structure/MEP model, place all 'proxy/coordination' structural elements in their own workset to turn off once the 'real' structural model elements are linked in.

For the unit type groups, create separate groups for the units' vanilla shell space + casework vs the furnishings. Place in separate worksets. Use attached detail groups for things that don't NEED to be 3D modeled.

I'm a big proponent of a separate Site model, as well, especially if topo is in use, in addition to parking/walks.

(Also know that linking the interior units into a separate shell model means the connection of interior to shell walls will NOT clean up. A fairly minor inconvenience compared to the benefit of file size management.)