Geometry - Commercial

This 68-minute course offers a comprehensive understanding of 'Commercial Building Geometry Modelling,' an advanced skill set for creating complex multi-storey building models in Better Building's simulation platform. Through detailed hands-on instruction using a complete four-storey commercial building example, participants will learn sophisticated modelling techniques essential for carbon analysis, daylighting studies, HVAC design, and regulatory compliance assessments.

Key Course Content

This course introduces you to sophisticated project configuration for commercial applications, covering multi-storey building setup with variable floor-to-floor heights (3,400mm standard), National Construction Code workflow selection, and strategic drawing duplication for efficient level creation. You'll explore the fundamental principles of thermal zone independence and understand how geometric accuracy directly impacts simulation reliability across complex building forms.

You'll master advanced zone creation methodologies specific to commercial buildings, including double-height voids, atrium spaces, and inter-level connectivity using air boundary applications and void space management for unconditioned areas. The course teaches you to combine multiple levels into single thermal zones, use internal floors strategically to separate conditioned from unconditioned spaces, and apply advanced node manipulation and zone splitting techniques. You'll also learn the sophisticated tagging system that enables efficient specification distribution across large commercial models, creating and managing multiple tag categories like punch windows, curtain walls, window walls, brick veneer systems, and rain screen assemblies whilst applying tags to multiple elements simultaneously.

The course extensively covers multi-level shading strategies including window-level distributed shading, site-level external shading for adjacent buildings and landscape elements, and complex geometric shading devices with variable projections and opacity settings. You'll gain experience with commercial roof system modelling including multi-pitch configurations, ridge offset techniques, and troubleshooting challenging roof-to-wall intersections in complex arrangements. Advanced topics include renewable energy system placement with detailed photovoltaic array configuration, HVAC system templates and zone connectivity, envelope performance specification using template libraries, space type definition for varied commercial functions, and quality assurance techniques that emphasise the critical relationship between geometric accuracy and downstream simulation reliability.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be thoroughly equipped to create sophisticated commercial building geometry models suitable for advanced energy simulation, daylighting analysis, carbon assessment, and regulatory compliance using Better Building's comprehensive commercial modelling capabilities.

Course Completion

A Certificate of Completion will be awarded upon achieving an 80% pass mark on the final quiz.

All courses are available in your Team. Read more.