Conceptual Design and FormIt

Learn how to use conceptual design tools in Revit or, start your conceptual design in FormIt and continue developing it in Revit.

What is conceptual design (Massing)?

Conceptual modeling allows you to explore how a design fits into the context of a site and lets you explore how major portions of a building relate to one another. The conceptual model can be quickly changed so multiple variations of a design can be explored. Massing studies completed in Revit provide area and volume information. The conceptual model can be analyzed for energy optimization. If you have access to the AEC Collection, you may want to consider using FormIt to develop conceptual models. Models created in FormIt are imported into Revit for further development. FormIt is purpose-built for conceptual modeling with tools specifically for creating, analyzing, and visualizing conceptual models.

Massing Study in Revit

Massing Study in FormIt

Why should you use it?

Conceptual massing studies are useful in a number of ways.

Massing - Building proportions, relationships, and context
Analysis - quantify areas, surfaces, and volumes to meet design goals
Design Development - Use conceptual models to begin design development and the creation of more detailed building elements

Massing

Because the conceptual model is not intended to be highly detailed, you can concentrate your design efforts on understanding the overall proportions of the design and understand how the design fits into the surrounding context. Mass elements are very quick to create, modify and iterate. You are able to explore and evaluate many potential design solutions for building relationships as well as contextual response.

Quantity/Area Analysis

Because you are able to analyze your conceptual model, you are able to understand at an early stage if your design will meet programmatic and performance needs. Evaluate mass forms for areas and volumes that need to be quantified. Mass forms are divided by the levels in the project to create mass floors. Each mass floor is quantified for:

Area of each mass floor, in square units. Use this information for rough design estimates or determining usage ratios for the design.
Exterior surface area from the mass floor upward to the next mass floor. Use this information to create rough cost estimates for the exterior of the building based on square units.
Perimeter of each mass floor. Use this information to create rough cost estimates based on linear dimensions.
Volume of each mass floor, in cubic units. Use this information to estimate HVAC loads.

Create schedules for the mass floors in your model to understand how the conceptual model is meeting design requirements.

Energy Analysis

Both Revit and FormIt allow you to create an energy analysis of the conceptual model. Use Insight analysis on a conceptual model early in the design process when massing and defining site placement. Overall building massing, and position/rotation on the site have the most impact on a building's overall lifetime energy performance.

Making these decisions early with a conceptual massing model makes it much easier to adjust the model leading to better outcomes. See Workflow: Energy Analysis with Revit and Insight for additional information on performing energy analysis in Revit or Solar and Energy Analysis for information on performing energy analysis in FormIt.

Insolation study in FormIt

Design Development

Once the conceptual model is complete use the Building Maker tools to convert faces of the mass elements into Revit elements (walls, floors, roofs, and curtain systems). These tools allow the mass element to be used as a "scaffolding" when you further develop the design. The design intent of the conceptual model is captured directly without the need for re-work or re-modeling. The detailed elements are applied directly to the faces of the conceptual massing models.

In this example, a mass surface becomes a curtain wall and the mass floors are converted to floors.

After Revit elements have been created, if the conceptual mass model is changed, the building elements are updated to the changed faces of the conceptual model.

If you are using FormIt for conceptual modeling, FormIt models are saved in an AXM file format, which can be imported or linked (Revit 2023 or newer only) into Revit. The geometry in the AXM file is converted to Revit massing elements. Once you have massing elements in Revit you can continue the workflow using Building Maker tools.