13.1 Conceptual Mass Workflow

Select individual surfaces and modify settings for Glazing Specification, Glazing Dimensions, Shading, Fritting and Surrounding Buildings.  The results on the Charts and Dashboard will change when modifications are made.

1. To model a conceptual Mass in Revit, enter the Massing and Site Tool on the Revit Menu.  Choose In-Place Mass which will take you to the massing editor.
2. Levels should be set correctly in an Elevation View.  Create the desired floor plan shape with the shape tools on the menu.
3. Click on this shape and choose Create Form on the menu.

4. This will create a 3D form. This can then be copied and pasted to other levels (where the design continues) by choosing Paste – Aligned to Selected Levels on the Revit Menu (this should be done while still in the Mass Editor).  If different floor plan footprints are required, these may be modeled separately (while remaining in the same Mass Editor session).

5. Once this is complete, click on the Green Check mark on the menu Finish Mass.

6. Back in the Revit window, click on the entire Mass and choose Mass Floors on the Menu.  Choose the required levels to include except the roof level (which is not a floor).

9. Ensure that the lowest floor of the Mass is on the actual Level by going to an Elevation View.  If this is not the case, the Energy Model may not be created successfully.  Check that the Ground Plane in the Energy Setting is correct (if there are levels below this level that is set here, they will be treated as unconditioned spaces).
10. Go to the Analyze Tab on the Revit Menu and click on Energy Settings.  Check that options here are set correctly.  For Revit 2022 and older, use the ‘Use Conceptual Masses’ mode. For  Revit 2023 and 2024, use the combined mode (‘Use Conceptual Masses and Building Elements‘) since the older ‘Use Conceptual Masses‘ mode has been removed in recent Revit versions.  You may set the glazing percentage also for the mass model.  Perimeter distance may be set also in Revit’s Energy Settings.
11. Create the Energy Model (optional).  If this is successful and does not produce warnings, open FenestraPro and choose the Concept Tool.

    

    

    To launch the application, make sure that you are in a Revit default 3D View and close any other views that are open (Plans, Elevations, Sections etc).  When the Concept Window opens, click on it, then click on the Mass model that you wish to analyze.

10. If the project has not been opened before with FenestraPro, the Building Manager will open automatically to prompt you to Calculate Solar Loads.  Review the settings to suit your project  (Terrain Type, Building Use, Location, Occupancy Hours etc) and calculate then Solar Loads here. Turn on Calculate Shading Factors if there are significant shading effects present (surrounding masses, self-shading etc).11. When results are complete, close the Building Manager and return to the main window to use the Performance and Facades tabs. If you close and relaunch the application, the previous results will be saved.

You may also create a Concept model ‘room by room’ by extruding separate areas while still in the Mass Editor of Revit.  This may more accurately represent the design.  Revit will recognize ‘internal’ walls and these will not receive any glazing.