Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2013: No Experience Required

Chapter 21

Phasing and Design Options

Of all the projects with which I have been involved over the years, I can remember only a handful that didn’t involve some kind of existing condition. It would be nice if we could find a giant, flat field on which to construct our buildings, but those projects are few and far between.

In this chapter, you will learn about:

• Managing project phasing
• Examining graphic overrides
• Creating design options

Managing Project Phasing

The term phasing in the Autodesk® Revit® Architecture platform is often taken literally, and it can be confused with construction sequencing. When we talk about phasing in a Revit context, we’re talking about adding new construction to an existing building and demolishing the existing structure. Although you can use Revit to track all aspects of construction, the base use and purpose of phasing is dealing with existing conditions.

The first section of this chapter will focus on the setup of your phasing scheme. By default, Revit Architecture provides two phases: Existing and New Construction. As it stands, everything you’ve placed into your model in the last 20 chapters has been exclusively related to the New Construction phase. You’ll now alter that.

I’ve seen this scenario played out more times than I would have liked. People get Revit, build a model, and then start clicking the Demolish button found on the Phasing panel on the Manage tab (see Figure 21-1). Yes, doing so forces hidden lines, and now you’re demolishing ...