Consultation on the best way to model architecture and structures in Revit

[Anonymous]

When we are modeling structures should we separate them from Architecture? What advice do you have for architectural studies that draw structure and architecture in the same file?

What would be the point of separating both specialties?

[barthbradley]

There's no set rules. It depends on your own firm's infrastructure, project and team. Hire a local BIM consultant to analyse.  

[Anonymous]

it is diffrent for each company, but in my opinion. is you start just do everything in 1 file. but make different worksets for construction and architecture. then you can divide the models later on for the architect and structural engineer. 

but the idea to have a Bim consultant have a look at the model as well to establish guidelines is the best step you can take! 

and over time you will develop own standards!

[Sahay_R]

It depends upon a) the size and complexity of the project b) the procedures followed by the company c) whether things like structure, interior, civil, etc are being done in-house or by consultants Just to share my experience - other disciplines like structure, civil, MEP, interiors, create their own model and link them into the Arch model. Structures will link the Arch model into their model, copy/monitor the Arch levels into their project, and proceed from there. Once that is done, Arch will link the Structures model into their model to check and coordinate.

[bimscape]

One of the main reasons for seperating the models out is risk / limitation of deign liability.

If you are "doing the architecture" and another company is "doing the structure"- you may not want them directly accessing your model / data- especially if this copmpany is somewhat unfamiliar to you?

The compromise is to share models for the purposes of Linking them- for template / coooridnation purposes.

[ukasharauf47]

You can't have a structural analytical model functionality in your architectural model which is being generated in architectural template. So, if you are doing structure with architecture in architectural template your designer won't get analytical model for finite element analysis. It is just like a parametric mass with no structural properties and useless for structural aspects for engineers until your engineer is using this model as a reference mass and making analytical model for calculations separately which vanish the idea of BIM based inter-operatability. So, it is one reason for separate models with discipline based templates.