Creating HVAC zones

In the previous blog tutorials we talked about how to create MEP spaces. In this blog we will show you how to create HVAC zones. You will use the MEP spaces you have created earlier to generate HVAC zones. One of the purposes of zoning spaces in HVAC system is to provide controllability of the space condition.
To create HVAC zones follow the easy steps below:

1. Go to the Analyze tab and select "Zone" and you will be prompted to add a space to the zone. Or you can select all the spaces and then select the "Zone" button. This way, the spaces will be automatically grouped to the same zone instead of adding them individually.
   


Select the space or multiple spaces that you want to add to the zone.

 

To edit a zone that has already been created:

Select the zone from the model view to activate the Modify HVAC Zones tab.
1. Click the "Edit Zone" button to activate the zone creation ribbon.
2. Add or remove spaces according to the zone.
3. When you are finished select the "Finish Editing Zone" button.


Physical and characteristic data for the specific zone can be modified by selecting the zone and go to its property menu in the left window.

 As we can see Creating HVAC zones is easy as 1, 2,3.

Creating Revit MEP Spaces

Spaces need to be created first in the project file in order to run any HVAC loads in Revit MEP, even if the architectural link you are using as the background has defined spaces created already. Spaces are defined by the same elements that define a room from your architectural linked model. Therefore, you want to make sure that your linked file is Room bounding.
To do that:

1. Right click the linked file and select its "Properties".
2. Select "Edit Type" and make sure "Room Bounding" is checked.

 You can create the spaces either manually or let Revit do it automatically for you. I like to create them manually. Using the automatic features saves time, but if you choose automatic make sure to check the spaces that were created and delete the unwanted ones. You can do that manually or delete them from the Space properties schedule. To do that highlight and right click on the space name and select delete to permanently remove it and any associated space tag.

To create MEP spaces follow these steps below:

1. Under the "Analyze" tab select the "Space" button.
2. Select inside the enclosed area where you want to create the MEP space.
3. Double click the text to change the generic space name and number assigned by Revit.

You can also install the Space Naming utility tool from Autodesk to save a lot of time. This utility will rename all spaces according to your architectural link filed. It is really a great tool, especially if you are working on a big project.