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Work with building types

In this topic

  1. Add a building type
  2. Define building type settings
  3. Edit a building type
  4. Define a dwelling unit

A building type is composed of one or several space-use types that define the combination of usages in a building. A building type is used as a template to build out plausible buildings respecting the zoning code.

You can edit existing building types and propose new building types while editing a plan. Proposed building types are only available in the corresponding plan; they are not available across the entire city.

Add a building type

You can add new building types to a plan in development mode Development or in the plan configuration. Use the development mode option to add types one by one. Use the import options in the plan configuration to add multiple types from a hosted feature table or a spreadsheet.

Development mode

To add a new building type in development mode Development, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the plan editor.
  2. Click Development Development in the header to switch to development mode.

    Ensure that the side panel on the right is expanded and is in development mode. To show or hide the side panel, click the expand button Expand.

  3. Click Building and space use types Zoning types in the upper right corner of the side panel.

    The side panel displays two tabs. The Building types tab is active by default. It lists the building types for the plan.

  4. Click the Add button Add button at the upper right of the side panel.

    The New building type dialog box appears.

  5. Provide a name for the building type.
  6. Optionally, provide a Custom ID value.

    This ID can be used for additional identification.

  7. Specify the building parts for the building type in the Building parts configuration section.

    Structural parts are building parts that are above ground; substructural parts are below ground.

  8. Define additional Building Type settings (see the Define building type settings section below for details).
  9. Click OK.

    The new building type is saved and added to the building types list with a proposal flag next to its name.

  10. To locate this building type in the list, search for it using the search field. To filter the list of building types, click the Filter button Filter to the right of the search bar.

Add building types to the plan configuration

To add new building types to the plan configuration, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the plan editor.
  2. Expand the drop-down menu named after the plan and choose Configure plan.

    The plan configuration opens to the general plan settings tab by default.

  3. Click Development and click Building types.
  4. Click Add and choose from the available options:
    • Single item—Add a single building type.
    • From spreadsheet—Import multiple types from a spreadsheet.
    • From feature table—Import multiple types from a hosted feature table.

    See Manage building types to learn more about these options.

  5. Click Return to plan Return to plan in the header when you finish adding types.

Define building type settings

You can define building type settings on the building type dialog box. You can access it when adding a new type or by clicking the Configure button Configure button in the list of building types when working with an existing type. You can access this list from development mode Development or from the plan configuration. See the Add a building type section above to learn how to get to the list of types.

Add building parts

To add a building part to a building type, complete the following steps:

  1. To add structural parts to the building type, click the Add button Add button in the Building parts configuration section.

    A new part with a default space-use type is added.

  2. Click the added building part to change the space use in the Space use type section to the right of the Building parts configuration section.

    The color updates to reflect the new space use.

  3. Provide values for the minimum and maximum number of floors.
  4. In the Massing drop-down list, specify whether the building part is a podium or a tower:
    • Podium—Maximize the building footprint within the allowed zoning regulations.
    • Tower—Maximize the building height within the allowed zoning regulations.
  5. Check the check box in the Floor area section if the building part will count toward GFA and FAR calculations.

    If the check box is unchecked, the building part is excluded from GFA and FAR calculations. This means that the building part will not count toward a FAR limitation set in zoning regulations. By default, all parts above ground count toward GFA and FAR calculations, and all substructural parts do not.

  6. Optionally, click a building part in the Building parts configuration section, click the Configure button Configure button, and select one of the options to add more building parts.
  7. Optionally, add substructural parts to the building type.
    1. Click the building part that is above the horizontal black line in the Building parts configuration section, click the Configure button Configure button, and choose the Add part below (substructure) option.
    2. Follow the steps above to define the parameters for the substructural building parts.
Note:

You can add multiple structural and substructural parts to a building type.

Building footprint

You can define the building footprint settings on the Building type dialog box. The Building type dialog box contains the following sections:

  • Minimum floor area
  • Footprint shape
  • Maximum footprint length (only available if the Footprint shape value is Rectangle)
  • Maximum footprint width (only available if the Footprint shape value is Rectangle)
  • Minimum building segment length (only available if the Footprint shape value is Rectangle)
  • Minimum building segment width (only available if the Footprint shape value is Rectangle)
  • Alignment
  • Secondary alignment

Edit a building type

You can edit all the parameters in a building type. You can also view the settings of a building type and generate a new building type based on the settings of an existing type.

To edit a building type from the list of building types, complete the following steps:

Note:

See the Add a building type section above to learn how to get to the list of types.

  1. Click the Configure button Configure button of the building type you want to edit.

    The editing dialog box appears.

  2. Edit the content of the building type.
  3. Click OK.

    Your changes are saved. If this building type has been assigned to a parcel, you must reapply it to that parcel to ensure your changes are reflected.

Note:

When modifying an existing building type, the changes are only applied to the current plan.

Tip:

Choose the Proposed in this plan option in the building types filter to see all the building types that have been added.

Define a dwelling unit

A dwelling unit is a structure that is designed for occupancy by a household of one or more persons. It can also be considered a single-family house. For building types, you can assign one building per parcel. For dwelling units, you can build multiple units on one parcel.

To define a dwelling unit, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the plan editor.
  2. Click Development Development in the header to switch to development mode.
    3. Ensure that the side panel on the right is expanded and is in development mode. To show or hide the side panel, click the expand button Expand.
  3. Click Building and space use types Zoning types in the upper right corner of the side panel.

    The side panel displays two tabs. The Building types tab is active by default. It lists the building types for the plan.

  4. Click the Add button Add button at the upper right of the side panel.

    The New Building Type dialog box appears.

  5. Provide a name for the building type.
  6. Choose Dwelling units in the Type section.
  7. Specify the space-use type for the dwelling unit in the Dwelling units configuration section.

    For dwelling units, you can only use residential space-use types. This must be defined for each space-use type, either at the urban model level (see Manage space-use types) or at a plan level (see Work with space-use types)—by checking the corresponding check box.

  8. Specify the other building type parameters according to your requirements.

    The total area per dwelling unit is configured in the space-use type.

    The building footprint shape of a dwelling unit is always a square.

  9. Set the Dwelling units density (DUA) value.

    The density value is the minimal lot size that belongs to a single dwelling unit.

    For example, a density value of four dwelling units per hectare (100 by 100 meters) means that on a perfectly squared one-hectare parcel, a single dwelling unit can fill the area of a square with a 25-meter edge length.

  10. Set the Minimum distance between units value.

    The minimum distance between dwelling units is the distance between individual buildings (wall to wall).

  11. Click OK.

    The dwelling unit definition is saved as a new building type and added to the building types list.

    12. To assign dwelling units to a parcel, see the Assign a building type section above.
Note:

You can also configure dwelling units on the Development tab in the plan configuration.

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In this topic
  1. Add a building type
  2. Define building type settings
  3. Edit a building type
  4. Define a dwelling unit