My Autodesk University (AU) 2010 Class handout - "Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk Revit Architecture".

1. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk®
Revit® Architecture
Philip Chan, LEED AP
Co-presenter: Kelvin Tam, RA, NCARB, LEED AP - NBBJ
Class Code: AB224-7C
Curtain wall system is not just a tool for curtain wall or storefront. When you think outside-the-box, it can
become a powerful design and documentation tool in Revit. We will showcase how to use and customize
curtain wall system in Revit to solve some of the common but complex design problems. This class will
explore the possibility of creating a family using the characteristics of a curtain wall system for another
purpose. We will unfold the secrets of what a curtain wall system can do for you. These skills will not
only benefit individual Revit users but also the entire project team.
About the Speakers:
Philip Chan has worked for a variety of architectural firms for over 10 years. He has been using Autodesk products for
12 years. Philip had been involved in implementing Revit for a number of Architectural firms in the Houston area which
included from setting up office standards, creating and maintaining Revit library content , providing training and
technical support to users. Philip has been a speaker at the local Revit user group. Philip holds a bachelor’s degree of
Architecture and Environmental Design from University of Houston. He is also an Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
certified professional.
Contact: pchan925@yahoo.com
Kelvin Tam has been growing in BIM with Autodesk® since he was a designer at RTKL starting using Revit Building
version 8.0. With a passion in BIM, Kelvin has been thinking out of the Revit package box for challenges that the
program could hardly do and trying to push Revit Architecture to the very limit to satisfy architects' specific needs for
design, documentation and management. He has been working as both a designer and BIM lead on a variety of
building types in the nation's leading design firms as RTKL, Rossetti Architects and NBBJ. Currently, Kelvin is a
project BIM coordinator at NBBJ and is highly involved in setting up standards and protocols for the firm's BIM
implementation. Holding a B.S. in Environmental Design from the College of Architecture at the University
of Houston and a B. Arch from SCI-Arc, Kelvin has a very strong design sensibility and is bringing design
and technology together in the practice of architecture.
Contact: ktam11@hotmail.com

2. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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INTRODUCTION
Unlike typical walls, a curtain wall is a system that uses a defined set of rules. In this class, we will take
this concept to apply on different elements for a building or a site components in a project.
Typical Properties Dialog Box of a Curtain Wall System

3. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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ALTERNATIVE USE OF CURTAIN WALL SYSTEM
Theater Seating
Concept:
 Easy placement. Use it as a linear row of seats other than individual family.
 Flexibility. Roll of seating can be place as straight line or curve.
 Ease of schedule; accurately report the total number of seats in schedule.

4. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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5. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Parking Space
Concept:
 Similar to theater seating; parking space can be placed as a linear row other than individual family.
 Can be placed in curve.
 Ease of schedule; whether it is for 100 spaces or 1,000 spaces.
Parking Space Nested in Curtain Panel Family

6. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Trellis
Concept:
 Creating trellis framework as a slope glazing.
 Make sure in the type properties – set curtain panel to empty system panel.
 Equally and correctly place structural member within the perimeter of the frame.
 Easy to make adjustment to the shape of the frame.

7. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Space Frame
Concepts:
 Use conceptual mass to control module parametrically
 Relationship of curtain system with conceptual mass
 Building curtain panel techniques
 Flexing conceptual mass to flex curtain panel size and number

8. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Cabinets
Concepts:
 Making use of the whole curtain wall system to do all casework
 Basic wall as curtain panel
 Curtain wall within curtain wall
 Mullions as counter top and splash

9. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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ADVANCED CURTAIN WALL SYSTEMS
 Double Skin Systems
 Corner Panels
 Unitized Panels
 Louver in System
Double Skin Curtain Wall Systems

10. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Louver System in Curtain Wall Systems

11. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Spider Clip Curtain Wall System
Concept:
 Using nested family inside curtain wall panel family.
 Set array value for spider clip as an instant parameter.
 Nest structural column family as another sub-component inside curtain panel family; and set column height as
an instant parameter.
 Create profile family as a silicon gasket

12. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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Curtain Panel with Nested Spider Clip and Nested Structural Column
Detail View at Silicon Gasket
Profile for Silicon Gasket

13. Not Your Everyday Curtain Wall System in Autodesk® Revit® Architecture
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CONCLUSION
 Concept: Understand what curtain wall tools can do for you
 Planning: Think about repetitive unit / module
 Planning: How individual panel behaves upon stretching length of curtain system
 Construction: Parameters in curtain panel families
 Construction: Profiles for mullion
 Construction: Corner condition
 Unlimited use of curtain wall: be creative and experimental
MORE SAMPLES:
3D Tile for Interior Wall Finish Won Door
THANK YOU.