REVIT ON AN ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT: 7 THINGS IT CHANGES
A Revit model of a landscaped residential project, geometry and site in one file.
Revit is a powerful asset for quick and smooth development of architectural projects. It is effective in both designing 3D constructions and presenting them to clients for approval of the result.
If you are looking for the service rather than the theory, our Revit modeling services page covers scope, formats and rates.
Contents:
- Accuracy and details
- Smooth workflow
- Ready-to-use library of 3D models
- Waste minimization
- Error detection and risk mitigation
- A parametric option
- Recreating landscapes
- Revit on a project FAQ
An architectural firm took on the reconstruction of a large period building, exterior details and all. They had two draftsmen in house and a deadline that did not move. The drawings went out, the client looked at them and asked what the building would actually be like once it was finished, because the elevations on their own did not answer that. Every one of the seven things below came out of that job.
However, the project can still be saved. Revit modeling can help recreate the real architectural construction as a detailed 3D object, and even in presenting the result in realistic high-quality images – all in one. Moreover, Revit 3D models are the most explicit guides for contractors that make their working process smoother, faster and better organized. Let’s find out 7 reasons why architects and contractors find Revit so rewarding and truly game-changing.
One thing worth reading first is what actually sits inside a Revit model, because most of the seven reasons below come straight out of it.
#1. Accuracy and Details
Curtain wall and glass roof modelled in Revit: every panel carries its own size and material.
Revit is effective at creating highly detailed 3D models and transmitting dimensions in the most accurate way for both real architectural objects and buildings in development. For example, the latest versions of Revit include aerial imagery and digital elevation along with laser scans of existing infrastructure and landscape. Those inputs make it easier to model an existing structure accurately, without measuring everything twice. In addition, the advanced tools of Revit significantly reduce errors of size and proportions, as well as save time by minimizing corrections.
#2. Smooth Workflow
An office building in Revit, where a change in the model updates the plans and the schedules.
Revit makes architectural project development more effective and fast. First of all, the model suits collaborative work as they let all chosen data to be stored in one project and be available for multiple users at once. Revit lets teams share 3D models in progress and coordinate tasks among the peers. As a result, all renovations of a project merge together with every save so that every specialist could give input into the architectural designing process. It helps to speed up the workflow and Architects can get their high-quality result even within the tightest deadline.
#3. Ready-to-Use Library of 3D Models
Stairs modelled from a Revit family: risers, treads and railings stay parametric.
3D modeling services include an option to save components that modellers pull out from the projects. In this way specialists can create a library of basic elements they are able to use for future 3D models. For example, Revit allows using ready templates at the start instead of building them from scratch every time. If a cgi specialist creates a simple 3D construction he has done many times before, he can use ready floor plans or saved building foundation with a few changes. It significantly simplifies the creation of new cgi constructions, as well as reduces the price – using ready 3D modeling elements costs less than building the new ones.
Want to know more about CAD services our studio provides? Check out this archive with projects examples and learn more.
#4. Waste Minimization
A structural Revit model used to catch clashes before the crew reaches the site.
The main reason Architects and Contractors choose 3D modeling is to calculate the required amount of materials for constructing a building. Revit is an ultimate instrument to convey the project scope, steps, and outcome as accurately as possible. Modeling in Revit helps to reduce the budget for unnecessary materials, minimize waste of resources and make project execution more effective. In the end, waste minimization is a benefit which is equally vital for architects, contractors and of course clients.
#5. Error Detection and Risk Mitigation
A house modelled in Revit from foundation to roof, ready for documentation.
Revit reveals the imperfections and weaknesses of a building structure at the early stages. The detailed scanning of 3D models helps to find flaws and fix them before finishing the work. It’s especially important for the approval of the project in the civil services of technical inventory and exploitation before the start of construction. Moreover, detecting errors in the structure at the designing stage will save a lot of time and money during the building process as there won’t be any need to redo anything.
#6. A Parametric Option
A multi storey residential building in Revit with balconies and a detailed facade.
Revit 3D modeling has parametric qualities. A model built in 3D can be cut into 2D views, and a 2D layout can be pushed back into the model. The key is that no matter how a specialist builds a model, in 3D or 2D, the information updates in both planes automatically. This is very convenient for large projects involving different types of work. Besides, it’s also helpful for architects who have previously used only outsource AutoCAD drawings and understand them better than Revit 3D modeling services.
#7. Recreating Landscapes
A summer residence in Revit with the landscape recreated around the building.
Landscape is part of the model more often than people expect. Revit reads aerial imagery and survey data, so the site around the building can be built from the same coordinates as the building itself. Give the modeller a geographic position and the terrain arrives with it: levels, slopes, the fall of the ground against the foundation. It matters beyond the picture. A retaining wall drawn against a guessed slope gets rebuilt on site. A ramp that ignores the real grade fails the accessibility check.
Seven changes, one pattern behind them. The model stops being a drawing you finish and becomes the thing the drawings come out of. Change a level, and the plans, the elevations and the schedules follow. That is the whole difference, and it is why a set produced in Revit survives the third round of client changes without falling apart.
Wonder how much high-quality drafting services cost? Check out the examples of our real projects with pricing.
Want your architectural projects to be created with maximum precision and accuracy? Use ArchiCGI drafting services and Revit 3D modeling – and get a model your drawings can actually come out of.
Want to see what a full BIM set includes and how much it costs? Modeling runs at $25 an hour and the full scope sits on the service page linked above.
Read also our article on why Autodesk Revit fits BIM projects and VR and AR tools built on Revit models.
Revit on a Project FAQ
What does Revit actually change on an architectural project?
The order in which mistakes get found. In a flat set an error hides until somebody builds it. In a model the plan, the section and the schedule are the same object, so a wall moved on Tuesday is a wall moved everywhere. That is most of the value. The pretty views are a side effect.
Is Revit better than AutoCAD for architecture?
For a coordinated building, yes. For one plan of one room, no, and pretending otherwise wastes hours. AutoCAD still draws faster when the deliverable is a couple of dimensioned sheets. Revit pays back once the same information has to appear in six places and stay consistent.
Do small practices need Revit?
Only if their clients or consultants work in it. A two-person studio doing refits can run on AutoCAD for years without losing anything. The moment a project arrives as an RVT file and the engineer expects one back, the question answers itself.
Where do I get a Revit model made without hiring a modeller?
Send the concept, the PDFs or the point cloud you already have. Our Revit modeling runs at $25 an hour, a project manager comes back with an hour estimate before anything starts, and the NDA goes first.
Irma Prus
Content Writer, Copywriter
Irma writes articles and marketing copy for ArchiCGI. Her dream is that more people discover the power of CGI for architecture. Irma is into neuromarketing, ruby chocolate and Doctor Who series.
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