Designing a Two-Bedroom, One-Bath House in Revit: A Step-by-Step Guide

Revit, a powerful Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, allows architects and designers to create detailed and accurate 3D models of buildings. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to design the layout of a two-bedroom, one-bath house using Revit. We’ll cover everything from setting up the project to creating walls, doors, windows, and interior spaces, with detailed steps and helpful tips along the way.

1. Setting Up Your Revit Project

Before diving into the design, it’s crucial to set up your Revit project correctly. This ensures that your model is organized, accurate, and ready for further development.

1.1. Launching Revit and Choosing a Template

1. Open Revit.
2. On the Revit Home screen, under the ‘Models’ section, click ‘New…’.
3. In the ‘New Project’ dialog box, under ‘Template file’, choose a suitable template. For residential projects, the ‘Residential Default’ template is a good starting point. If you don’t have that, you can browse and select a generic architectural template.
4. Ensure that ‘Create new’ is set to ‘Project’.
5. Click ‘OK’.

1.2. Setting Project Units

Accuracy is vital in BIM. Set the project units to your preferred system (e.g., feet and inches or meters) to ensure precise modeling.

1. Go to the ‘Manage’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Project Units’.
3. In the ‘Project Units’ dialog box, you can change the units for various parameters such as ‘Length’, ‘Area’, and ‘Volume’.
4. Click on the ‘Format…’ button next to ‘Length’.
5. Choose your desired units (e.g., ‘Feet and fractional inches’) and specify the rounding precision.
6. Click ‘OK’ in both the ‘Format’ and ‘Project Units’ dialog boxes.

1.3. Defining Levels

Levels represent the vertical datums in your project, such as the ground floor, first floor, and roof. For a single-story house, you’ll primarily need one level. The default template usually has two levels already created (Level 1 and Level 2). We’ll adjust these or add one if needed.

1. In the ‘Project Browser’, under ‘Elevations’, double-click on any elevation view (e.g., ‘East’ or ‘North’).
2. You’ll see the existing levels. Level 1 is typically at 0′ 0″, and Level 2 is at a certain height above it (e.g., 10′ 0″).
3. If you need to adjust the height of Level 2, click on the level and modify the dimension value.
4. For a single-story house, you might only need one level representing the finished floor level. In that case, you can delete Level 2 or rename Level 1 to ‘Finished Floor’. Then, create a new level for the roof.
5. To add a new level, go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
6. Click on ‘Level’ under the ‘Datum’ panel.
7. Draw a horizontal line in the elevation view to define the new level. Revit will automatically create a level head with a name (e.g., ‘Level 3’).
8. Rename the new level to ‘Top of Wall’ or ‘Roof Level’ as appropriate.
9. Adjust the height of the new level to your desired roof height. A typical roof height might be 9-12 feet above the finished floor.

2. Creating the Walls

Walls are the fundamental elements that define the building’s enclosure. Revit offers a variety of wall types, each with different properties and materials.

2.1. Selecting a Wall Type

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Wall’.
3. In the ‘Properties’ palette, under ‘Type Selector’, choose a suitable wall type. For exterior walls, a ‘Basic Wall – Exterior Brick on CMU’ or a similar type is a good starting point. For interior walls, a ‘Basic Wall – Interior 4 1/2″ Partition (1-hr)’ is common. If you don’t see the exact type you need, you can modify an existing type or create a new one.

2.2. Drawing the Exterior Walls

1. In the ‘Options Bar’ at the top of the screen, specify the following:
• ‘Location Line’: Choose ‘Finish Face: Exterior’ or ‘Core Face: Exterior’ to align the wall to the outer face. This is often easier for dimensioning later.
• ‘Base Constraint’: Set this to ‘Level 1’ (or your ‘Finished Floor’ level).
• ‘Top Constraint’: Set this to ‘Top of Wall’ or ‘Roof Level’.
• ‘Offset’: Leave this at 0′ 0″.
• ‘Chain’: Enable this to draw a continuous chain of walls.
2. In the ‘Plan View’ (usually ‘Level 1’), click to define the start point of your first wall.
3. Move your cursor to define the length of the wall. Revit will display temporary dimensions to help you.
4. Click to define the end point of the wall.
5. Continue drawing the remaining exterior walls, forming the overall shape of the house. A simple rectangular shape or an L-shape is common for a two-bedroom house.
6. Make sure the walls are properly joined at the corners. If they don’t join automatically, use the ‘Modify’ tab and the ‘Modify Wall Joins’ tool to clean up the corners.

2.3. Drawing the Interior Walls

1. Select an appropriate interior wall type from the ‘Type Selector’.
2. In the ‘Options Bar’, set the ‘Base Constraint’ to ‘Level 1’ and the ‘Top Constraint’ to ‘Top of Wall’.
3. Draw the interior walls to divide the space into rooms (bedrooms, bathroom, living room, kitchen). Consider the following:
• Bedroom sizes: Aim for at least 10′ x 10′ for each bedroom, although larger is preferable.
• Bathroom size: A typical bathroom size is around 5′ x 8′ to 8′ x 10′.
• Hallways: Include hallways for circulation between rooms.
4. Use temporary dimensions to accurately position the interior walls. You can click on a wall and then click on the temporary dimension to change its value.

3. Adding Doors and Windows

Doors and windows are essential for access, natural light, and ventilation.

3.1. Adding Doors

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Door’.
3. In the ‘Type Selector’, choose a suitable door type. Common sizes include 30″, 32″, and 36″ wide doors.
4. Move your cursor over a wall where you want to place the door. Revit will automatically detect the wall and allow you to place the door.
5. Click to place the door. You can use the spacebar to flip the door’s swing direction.
6. Place doors for the bedrooms, bathroom, entrance, and any other necessary locations.
7. Adjust the door positions using temporary dimensions.

3.2. Adding Windows

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Window’.
3. In the ‘Type Selector’, choose a suitable window type and size. Consider window styles like double-hung, casement, or sliding windows.
4. Move your cursor over an exterior wall where you want to place the window.
5. Click to place the window.
6. Place windows in the bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, ensuring adequate natural light and ventilation.
7. Adjust the window positions and sill heights using temporary dimensions. A typical sill height is around 3′ 0″.

4. Creating Interior Spaces

Defining the specific rooms and their areas is crucial for creating a functional house design. Revit’s Room tool simplifies this process.

4.1. Using the Room Tool

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Room’.
3. Move your cursor inside a closed area defined by walls. Revit will automatically detect the room boundaries.
4. Click to place a room tag in the center of the room.
5. Repeat this process for each room in the house: living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, and hallways.

4.2. Naming the Rooms

1. Click on a room tag.
2. In the ‘Properties’ palette, change the ‘Name’ to the appropriate room name (e.g., ‘Living Room’, ‘Bedroom 1’, ‘Bathroom’).
3. Repeat this for each room in the house.

4.3. Room Areas and Schedules

Revit automatically calculates the area of each room, which is valuable for space planning and code compliance. You can also create room schedules to summarize the room areas.

1. To view a room’s area, click on the room tag. The area will be displayed in the ‘Properties’ palette under ‘Area’.
2. To create a room schedule, go to the ‘View’ tab.
3. Click on ‘Schedules’ and choose ‘Schedule/Quantities’.
4. In the ‘New Schedule’ dialog box, select ‘Rooms’ as the category.
5. Choose the fields you want to include in the schedule (e.g., ‘Name’, ‘Area’, ‘Perimeter’, ‘Level’).
6. Click ‘OK’. Revit will generate a table showing the room names, areas, and other selected properties.

5. Adding Components (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment)

To enhance the realism and functionality of your model, add furniture, fixtures, and equipment to the rooms.

5.1. Loading Families

Components in Revit are called ‘Families’. You can load families from the Revit library or download them from online sources.

1. Go to the ‘Insert’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Load Family’.
3. Browse to the Revit library (usually located in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT [version]\Libraries\[Language]).
4. Navigate to the appropriate category (e.g., ‘Furniture’, ‘Plumbing’, ‘Specialty Equipment’).
5. Select the family you want to load and click ‘Open’.

5.2. Placing Components

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Component’.
3. In the ‘Type Selector’, choose the component you want to place.
4. Place the component in the appropriate location in the room.
5. Repeat this process for all necessary furniture, fixtures, and equipment. For example:
• Bedrooms: Beds, dressers, nightstands, closets
• Bathroom: Toilet, sink, shower/tub
• Living Room: Sofa, chairs, coffee table, TV
• Kitchen: Cabinets, countertops, appliances (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher)
6. Adjust the component positions and orientations as needed.

6. Annotating the Plan

Annotations provide crucial information about the design, such as dimensions, text notes, and tags.

6.1. Adding Dimensions

1. Go to the ‘Annotate’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Aligned Dimension’.
3. Click on the elements you want to dimension (e.g., walls, doors, windows).
4. Click to place the dimension line.
5. Add overall dimensions, room dimensions, and dimensions to locate doors and windows.

6.2. Adding Text Notes

1. Go to the ‘Annotate’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Text’.
3. Click on the location where you want to place the text note.
4. Type your text.
5. Add text notes to label rooms, indicate materials, or provide other relevant information.

6.3. Tagging Elements

Tags automatically display information about elements, such as door numbers and window sizes.

1. Go to the ‘Annotate’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Tag by Category’.
3. Click on the element you want to tag (e.g., a door or window).
4. Revit will automatically generate a tag with the relevant information.
5. Adjust the tag positions as needed.

7. Refining the Design and Adding Details

Once you have the basic layout established, you can refine the design and add more details.

7.1. Adjusting Wall Thicknesses and Materials

1. Select a wall.
2. In the ‘Properties’ palette, click on ‘Edit Type’.
3. In the ‘Type Properties’ dialog box, under ‘Structure’, click on ‘Edit’.
4. You can modify the wall’s layers, thicknesses, and materials.
5. Experiment with different wall types and materials to achieve the desired aesthetic and performance.

7.2. Adding Flooring and Ceilings

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Floor’ or ‘Ceiling’.
3. Choose a suitable floor or ceiling type.
4. Use the ‘Pick Walls’ tool to automatically create the floor or ceiling boundary based on the walls.
5. Click ‘Finish Edit Mode’.

7.3. Creating Openings

Use the ‘Opening’ tools in Revit to create openings in walls and floors for stairs, shafts, and other features.

1. Go to the ‘Architecture’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Wall Opening’, ‘Shaft Opening’, or ‘Floor Opening’, depending on the type of opening you want to create.
3. Draw the opening on the wall or floor.
4. Adjust the opening size and position as needed.

8. Viewing the Model in 3D

Revit allows you to visualize your design in 3D, which helps you understand the spatial relationships and overall appearance of the house.

8.1. Creating a 3D View

1. In the ‘Project Browser’, under ‘3D Views’, double-click on ‘{3D}’. If there is no default 3D view, you can create one by going to the ‘View’ Tab, clicking ‘3D View’ and selecting ‘Default 3D View’.
2. Revit will generate a 3D view of your model.

8.2. Navigating in 3D

Use the following techniques to navigate in the 3D view:

• Orbit: Hold down the Shift key and the middle mouse button, then drag your mouse.
• Pan: Hold down the middle mouse button and drag your mouse.
• Zoom: Use the mouse wheel.
• View Cube: Use the View Cube in the upper right corner of the screen to quickly switch between different viewpoints.

8.3. Adjusting Visual Styles

1. In the ‘View Control Bar’ at the bottom of the screen, you can change the visual style of the 3D view.
2. Options include ‘Wireframe’, ‘Hidden Line’, ‘Shaded’, ‘Realistic’, and ‘Ray Trace’.
3. Experiment with different visual styles to see your model in different ways.

9. Documenting the Design

Once you are satisfied with the design, you need to document it for construction and permitting purposes.

9.1. Creating Sheets

1. In the ‘Project Browser’, right-click on ‘Sheets’ and select ‘New Sheet’.
2. Choose a title block family (e.g., ‘A1 Metric’ or ‘B Landscape’).
3. Click ‘OK’. Revit will create a new sheet with the selected title block.

9.2. Placing Views on Sheets

1. In the ‘Project Browser’, drag and drop the views you want to place on the sheet (e.g., ‘Level 1 Plan’, ‘3D View’).
2. Position the views on the sheet as desired.
3. Adjust the view scales as needed.

9.3. Adding Title Block Information

1. Click on the title block on the sheet.
2. In the ‘Properties’ palette, fill in the relevant information (e.g., ‘Project Name’, ‘Sheet Name’, ‘Drawn By’, ‘Date’).

10. Exporting the Model

Finally, you can export the model to various formats for sharing and collaboration.

10.1. Exporting to DWG

1. Go to the ‘File’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Export’ and choose ‘CAD Formats’ and then ‘DWG’.
3. Configure the export settings as needed.
4. Click ‘OK’.

10.2. Exporting to PDF

1. Go to the ‘File’ tab.
2. Click on ‘Print’.
3. Choose ‘Microsoft Print to PDF’ as the printer.
4. Configure the print settings as needed.
5. Click ‘OK’.

Conclusion

This guide has provided a comprehensive overview of how to design a two-bedroom, one-bath house in Revit. By following these steps and exploring Revit’s features, you can create detailed and accurate 3D models that meet your design requirements. Remember to experiment, practice, and consult Revit’s documentation and online resources to further enhance your skills. Happy designing!