Tutorial 5CURTAIN WALLS

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In addition to punched openings, or the windows, Revit also provides a wall type called Curtain Wall.

Curtain Walls are placed using the Wall tool, rather than the Window tool, but typically represent an expanse of glass, interior or exterior.

The commercial template, which this project was started from, provides three curtain wall types: Curtain wall

Exterior glazing

Storefront

OVERVIEW

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The first one, curtain wall, represents one extreme, that being a blank slate in which you totally design the mullion layout.

When you place a wall, you basically have a panel of glass the entire length and height of the wall.

CURTAIN WALL

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The second type, exterior glazing, has the glass divided up, but does not provide any mullions.

This would be like a butt-glazed system until mullions are added.

EXTERIOR GLAZING

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The storefront wall type represents the other extreme where mullions are placed in both the horizontal and vertical directions at a specific spacing.

The layout is locked down, pinned, and cannot be accidentally modified unless a mullion is manually un-pinned.

This will be the system we use for this tutorial.

STOREFRONT

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Wall

Panel

Grid

Mullion

A CURTAIN WALL HAS FOUR PRIMARY ELEMENTS:

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Each of these elements must be individually selected in order to edit them.

Remember to use the tab key to cycle through and select something specific; once the item is pre-highlighted, you click to select it.

The blank slate Curtain Wall represents the simplest condition: the wall and a single panel that coincides with the wall.

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CURTAIN WALL TYPES

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To begin dividing up a curtain wall we need to add curtain wall grids.

Revit has a specific tool for this on the architecture tab

When a curtain grid is added, the panel in which it was placed gets split.

CURTAIN WALL

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BELOW HAS 1 WALL, 6 WALL GRIDS, 7 PANELS

Curtain panels

Curtain grids

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When a curtain grid is selected, you can adjust its location with the move tool or the temporary dimensions.

When a curtain panel is selected, you can swap it out with other Revit elements such as walls and specific curtain wall doors.

Once curtain grids have been placed, you can use the mullion tool to place mullions on the curtain grid.

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PLAN VIEW, MULLION, ALL GRID LINES, LOOK IN 3D

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LOAD A CURTAIN WALL SINGLE GLASS PANEL DOOR

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TAB TO CYCLE THROUGH AND SELECT A PANEL

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SELECT FROM LIST ON THE LEFT

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SEE THE DOOR BELOW…

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WHEN YOU ADJUST PROPORTIONS, THE DOOR LOOKS MORE REALISTIC (3’ WIDE)

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Mullions start and stop at each curtain grid intersection.

You can tab, select the mullion and delete it since we now have a door.

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OPEN YOUR LEVEL 1 LAW OFFICE FROM LAST CLASS

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Switch to level 1 floor plan view

Select the wall tool on the ribbon

Select the wall style named storefront from the type selector

Before we draw the storefront, let’s review its properties.

Note the instance properties via the properties palette

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SEE BELOW…

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The base constraint is equal to the floor plan level you are currently on.

Level 1 refers to the level datum and not the name of the view that you are in.

The sill height is set by the base offset parameter, and the head height is set by top constraint.

Because these are instance parameters they can vary from room location within the project.

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Make the following adjustments:

Base offset: 2’-0”

Unconnected height: 6’-0”

Click the edit/type button to view the type properties

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SEE BELOW…

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Each wall type has a function setting, this one is set to exterior, others may be set to interior, foundation, retaining, soffit, or core shaft.

This setting has an effect on how the wall is drawn and may be used by energy analysis programs.

Automatically embed: allows one wall to cut a hole in another, similar to what a door or window does when placed in a wall. This is an important step!

Various rules on the mullions and their spacing are adjustable here.

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Press ok to close dialog box.

In the northwest corner of the building, snap to the middle of the wall, 4’-0”, down from the corner and then click.

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IN THE NW CORNER OF THE BLDG, SNAP TO MIDDLE OF WALL, 4’ DOWN

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THEN 14’-0” DOWN…

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The new curtain wall cuts an opening in the large exterior masonry wall.

Because a curtain wall is a wall, it is possible to use the various wall modify tools discussed previously such as edit profile and attach top/base.

The attach top/base feature can quickly conform the top of a curtain wall to a sloped roof element.

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CORNER CONDITIONS

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If two storefront type curtain walls are drawn with a 90 degree corner, the result is two overlapping mullions. This does not look good. Revit has a solution to the problem. There are special corner mullions which can interact with both walls, even though it is technically only attached to one of them.

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Tab to select mullion, unpin element

UNPIN

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Select 5”x5” quad corner

If this is not available, start a new project to see the difference (just draw two storefront walls and adjust for practice)

HIGHLIGHT NEW SELECTION

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Revit will prompt you to delete the adjacent mullion which you must accept or cancel the modification. Click delete.

CORRECTED CORNER BELOW

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L-CORNER MULLION

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INTERIOR FENESTRATIONS

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We need to create a new mullion type, the project only has a 2.5x5” mullion with a 1” glazing element.

We are going to make a 2” wide mullion with a depth that matches the wall thickness. We will also create a ¼” glazing option as the current 1” option represents a double glazed insulated glass panel for exterior conditions.

ZOOM INTO SMALL CONFERENCE ROOM

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In the project browser, expand families and then curtain wall mullions.

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Right click on the 2.5x5” Rectangular family type, select type properties.

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Click duplicate

Enter 2” interior frame for the name

Adjust the two width dimensions to 1”

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Edit the thickness to match the typical interior wall thickness: 4 7/8”

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Click OK. The browser will now list a new mullion type.

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In the project browser, expand families and then curtain panels and then system panel.

Right-click on the glazed type and select type properties

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Click duplicate and then enter glazed-interior

Make the following type properties adjustments: Offset: 0”

Thickness: ¼”

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Select the wall tool

Set the type selector to curtain wall: storefront

Because the exterior fenestrations use the “wall” type storefront, you will duplicate it so you can adjust the mullion spacing with changing the exterior windows.

Click edit/type

Click duplicate

Enter interior wall for the name

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Make the following changes to the type properties Set the function to interior

Make sure automatically embed is checked

Curtain panel: system panel: glazed-interior

Adjust the vertical grid pattern as follows: Layout: maximum spacing and spacing 4’-0”

Adjust for mullion size: checked

Adjust the horizontal grid pattern as follows: Layout: fixed distance and spacing 7’-0”

Adjust for mullion size: checked

Set all mullions to (6 total): rectangular mullion: 2” interior frame

Set the assembly code to C1010700

Click OK

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Now let’s draw a curtain wall in the small conference room

Set the wall height to 9’-0”

Do not worry about exact points right now

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Adjust BOTH sides of the curtain wall; select the align tool from the modify tab

Pick the edge of the adjacent wall

Pick the edge of the curtain wall; a short dashed line should appear before clicking

ALIGN

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Because the vertical spacing is set to Maximum Spacing, each glass size is the same for this curtain wall.

The spacing will be as large as possible, without going over the 4’-0” maximum.

The height was set at 7’-0” to accommodate a typical door height.

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Next, add a curtain wall to the south side of the conference room.

Delete the door first, since we need a special type of door for the curtain system.

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Now we will add a door, which involves adding a vertical mullion, then selecting the curtain panel, and then picking a door option from the type selector.

Let’s draw a section

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Double click and open the section

Click architecture, curtain grid

Select one segment from the ribbon

Move your cursor near the bottom and anywhere within the area and the door panel will go.

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CHANGE TEMP DIM. TO 3’-3”

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The 3’-3” dimension is for the 3’-0”, the 2” frame on the right, and half of the 2” frame on the left.

You now have a 3’-0”x7’-0” opening defined.

Click to select the mullion on the floor, unpin, delete.

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CLICK MULLION, THEN CLICK BREAK AT JOIN, SEE BELOW…

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TAB TO SELECT PANEL, UNPIN, SELECT CURTAIN WALL SGL GLASS

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AUTODESK SEEK

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Click to open the following product: D200 series stile door, 1 ¾” standard aluminum swing entrance door, d200c002

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Download and save as

Load family

Select the curtain wall door and pick the new door

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NEW DOOR

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NOW WE WILL CHANGE THE SWING IN PLAN VIEW

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CLICK DOOR THEN CLICK EDIT FAMILY

Highlight all elements in 3D view. Click visibility settings, uncheck plan boxes, click ok. Load into project and override existing.

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DOOR MODIFIED AND CORRECT IN PLAN VIEW

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Zoom into the staff lunch room

Delete the double doors

Place a curtain wall in the west wall Snap to the face of the adjacent wall to make the overall length of

the curtain wall to match the width of the lunchroom

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Cut a temporary section and select the corner mullion

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UNPIN AND DELETE CENTER MULLION AND BOTTOM FLOOR MULLIONS

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SELECT VERTICAL GRID, UNPIN, CLICK ADD/REMOVE SEGMENTS

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CLICK THE PORTION OF CURTAIN GRID AND CLICK TO REMOVE IT

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ADJUST REMAINING VERTICAL MULLION JOIN ABOVE THE DOOR

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SELECT THE CURTAIN GRID ON THE RIGHT SIDE, UNPIN, TYPE 3’-1”

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ADJUST THE LEFT THE SAME

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DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING AND SAVE AS/LOAD FAMILY

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CHANGE DOOR AND USE THE 6” BOTTOM RAIL

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IN CLASS EXERCISE BELOW, ADD GLASS AND DOORS ON NEXT SLIDE

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