Extract a SpatialZone - Apartment or Common Parts

Data and Spatial visualization

Extractions are twofold: the invisible part is the set of data that pertain to the spatial unit at hand. On these data, processes can be run to provide metrics / indicators (surfaces and volumes, space types and usage, energy transfer, life cycle, reuse, ...).

The visible part is there to help understand the structure of the spatial unit, but also to identify issues, such as components that exibit misclassification and other anomalies.

Remark: the IfcConnectionGeometry is not made visually apparent in the viewers

The extraction of a SpatialZone will collect all walls, slabs, ... doors and windows that are part of the Space Boundary of a Space contained in the SpatialZone. The relationships are also collected. An IfcJson element with type='IfcRelSpaceBoundary' conveys the data for the connection geometry and the details of the IfcConnectionSurfaceGeometry. However, whole walls or slabs are shown and the connection surface is not made visually apparent in the viewers.

Extraction of an Apartment from the Database

We can extract an IfcSpatialZone in the same way that we extracted an IfcStorey in Extraction of a Storey from the Database.

This works seamlessly. However IFC Schependomlaan has a insconsistent IfcSpaceBoundary values:

for apartments 1 to 3 and 7 to 8, the spaces have Doors but no Windows in their boundary
for apartments 4 and 5, the spaces have Windows but no Doors in their boundary

Extraction of Appartment 0.03 of the Ground Floor of IFC Schependomlaan

Hereunder, we have the result of the extraction including to top slab that are part of the Boundary of Spaces in that apartment.

Hereunder, we have hidden the top slab and see the layout of Apartment 0.03 with the missing windows. Because we have started the extraction from the IfcSpatialZone as the container, we don't have the IfcRelContainedInSpatialStructure relationship between the IfcBuildingStorey and the contained IfcWall, IfcSlab, IfcDoor, IfcWindow, ... These relationships could be added, but that is not yet done here.

Extraction of Appartment 0.01 of the Ground Floor of IFC Schependomlaan

One of the notable strength of extractions is that anomalies show up clearly. Here we have two toilet spaces in the first apartment. In reality, one of them belongs to the second apartment.

This was also noticeable with scrutinizing the standard model view, but not obvious.

Extraction of the first duplex of Duplex_A_20110907_optimized

We can see the spaces on the front part of the first floor (living, kitchen, ...) and the spaces on the right side of the second floor (bedroom 1, ...). We also have the space for the stair.

We have the walls, slabs, doors, windows that are related to a Space Boundary. We also have the furnitures that are - in IFC - contained in the spaces. For the stair, we have the corresponding space, but not the stair because it is neither related to a Space Boundary nor contained in the space. Adding the stair could be done with some extra development.

Extraction of the second duplex of Duplex_A_20110907_optimized

We can see the spaces on the back part of the first floor (living, kitchen, ...) and the spaces on the left side of the second floor (bedroom 1, ...). We also have the space for the stair.

For components such as walls, slabs, ... and the stair, the same applies as for the first duplex.

Extraction of Common Parts from the Database

In IFC SChependomlaan, we have:

3 common areas on the ground floor
1 common area on the other floors (first, second and third)

We have grouped them under 1 single common SpatialZone with spans all floor and is attached to the building via an IfcRelAggregates relationship and to the spaces via IfcRelReferencedInSpatialStructure relationships.

The extraction navigates the relationships from the IfcSpatialZone as the parent. Therefore we see the spaces and their boundaries (walls, slabs, door, windows).

We provide hereunder two illustrative views. The first display bounding slabs, while the second has hidden those slabs.

With an extract, the data of the SpatialZone is also displayed by BIMcollab Zoom and That Open (Web) as shown hereunder.