toilet stalls - use walls and doors instead of the special equipment family

[HVAC-Novice]

For an existing building project i need to re-create the actual toilet stalls. Typically I use the "specialty equipment" stall families. but i have some existing ADA stalls that are larger than typical and have the door on the side (they are at the end of the room). that would require me to change that family quite a bit and got me thinking why don't i just use walls and doors to make stalls? 

Is there some reason we use the specialty families? They seem convenient since they contain the grab bar and possibly toilet paper roll and sometimes the WC. The advantage seems to be one can place many complete stalls quickly. 

But that also makes it inflexible (think scheduling the bar, WC etc. separately). For new construction it would be less of an issue since I can just make "normal" stalls. 

any advice on using actual walls/doors vs the specialty families? 

[barthbradley · Accepted solution]

Why don't you download "Bradley" families from their website.  Might make it easier for you.  

https://www.bradleycorp.com/bim

P.S. "Specialty Equipment" is just a Category.  It has no impact on the modeling/design work.  

[calexander_PCO]

It's an interesting question. 

I'd say that the true perspective is that it is modeling elements as they are - so it is specialty equipment and therefore that is why we do so. It would help with take-offs, quantities, and coordination (other models referencing this one and having their views set correctly).

However, some of that becomes moot with high-privacy needs (it is mostly treated as a wall, albeit a "temporary" one regarding lighting and hvac), but it is often still specified as specialty equipment.

For existing conditions, I see much more flexibility when it's not necessarily "in scope" to document it, but it needs to be referenced and that might lead to more what you are suggesting. If that is the case, I'd take it all the way and create a curtainwall system that looks/functions like the toilet partitions would.

[L.Maas]

I do both. In some cases the stall are really walls. In some cases they are the more common stalls.

In general I follow the philosophy , model it like it will be beuild

[RobDraw]

If you are collaborating with other trades, use appropriate categories. The others may need different representation for bathroom partition walls and doors than for regular walls and doors. i.e. lighter lineweight.

[HVAC-Novice]

thanks to all. I found the Bradley families were useful enough to create multiple typical stall layouts inc. the ones on my project.

I added control points, and you also can mirror them on the plan view. 

Making actual walls probably are too cumbersome, considering most legal stalls follow some sort of pattern. 

[ldubosarAXBHF]

It's actually specified under plumbing.

If a family is started from a specialty equipment template, it is not cuttable. Therefor we are unable to take accurate sections and elevations for interior drawings.

[michial]

PERFECT!!!   Thank you Barth!

[SteveKStafford]

Four year old thread with a recent reply, I wrote a blog post (has a link to a youtube video) in 2010 (ten years before this thread started haha) discussing using walls/doors for toilet partitions instead of families. It might be useful too. I use a Filter to isolate walls used for this so their line weight can be reduced. I use a simplified door family and filter it out of schedules based on the family naming.

[ToanDN]

I use curtain walls for those because they are paneling systems.