01
Design basis
Confirm the HVAC design, equipment selections and criteria — supplied by your engineer, or calculated by us where that is explicitly in scope.
HVAC BIM modelling services
The discipline that usually decides how deep the ceiling void has to be — and therefore the one whose routing decisions everything else inherits.
HVAC BIM & engineering
The engineering position
Duct depth is the constraint the rest of the project pays for
Rectangular ductwork is the largest single object in most ceiling voids, it cannot be rerouted as cheaply as cable tray, and it is usually drawn last. The result is a familiar sequence: the void is set architecturally, the mechanical route does not fit, and the resolution is either a bulkhead nobody wanted or an aspect-ratio change nobody checked the consequence of. We resolve the primary mechanical route first, and treat every subsequent change to it as an engineering change rather than a drafting one.
Aspect ratio is an engineering decision, not a coordination workaround
Flattening a duct to clear a beam changes its hydraulic diameter, its pressure drop and its fan duty. Done once it is invisible; done eleven times along a run it is a plant selection problem discovered at commissioning. We report those changes to the responsible engineer as they are made, which is the only point at which they are cheap to argue about.
Plant access is designed, not left over
Coil pull space, filter access, damper access and tube pull are dimensioned requirements. They are also the requirements most often satisfied by whatever space happens to remain. We model them as clearance zones and test them as rules, so an access failure is a finding rather than an argument on site.
Deliverables
What is actually produced and issued
Any of these can be appointed on their own or combined. Nothing here depends on buying the intelligence layer, which is not for sale in any case.
DeliverableHVAC Revit models
Supply, return, exhaust and fresh-air systems, toilet and kitchen exhaust, basement and car-park ventilation, modelled with system assignment and insulation.
DeliverableWater-side and refrigerant piping
Chilled-water, condenser-water and VRF/VRV refrigerant piping, with split, multi-split and ducted AC systems.
DeliverablePlant rooms and equipment
Chiller plant and mechanical plant-room models, cooling tower and pump-room coordination, AHU, FCU and FAHU equipment.
DeliverableSmoke extraction modelling
Mechanical smoke-control ductwork modelled and coordinated to the design supplied.
DeliverableRisers, schematics and schedules
HVAC riser diagrams, system schematics, equipment and technical schedules from Revit.
DeliverableShop drawings and quantities
HVAC shop drawings and installation layouts, with duct, pipe and insulation takeoffs and BOQ support.
DeliverableLoads, sizing and airflow calculations
Heating and cooling loads, duct and pipe sizing, airflow and air-distribution schedules. Only where design responsibility is explicitly agreed and supported by qualified engineers.
Catalogue scope
Every scope item, with its typical output
The full list from the BIMRACE service catalogue. Each item can be included or excluded in a proposal; the code is the one used in our scope documents.
HVAC-01HVAC system Revit modeling
Native Revit model and views.
HVAC-02Ductwork layout and distribution
Duct model, plans, sections.
HVAC-03Supply, return and exhaust air systems
Air-system layouts and model.
HVAC-04Fresh-air ventilation systems
Layouts, equipment schedules.
HVAC-05Toilet and kitchen exhaust systems
Duct layouts and schedules.
HVAC-06Basement and car-park ventilation
Ventilation model and layouts.
HVAC-07Smoke extraction and mechanical smoke-control modeling
Model, layouts, coordination outputs.
HVAC-08Chilled-water supply and return piping
Piping model, plans and risers.
HVAC-09Condenser-water piping systems
Piping layouts and model.
HVAC-10VRF/VRV refrigerant piping and equipment
Model, equipment and piping layouts.
HVAC-11Split, multi-split and ducted AC systems
Equipment layouts and model.
HVAC-12AHU, FCU, FAHU and ventilation equipment
Equipment model and schedules.
HVAC-13Chiller plant and mechanical plant-room modeling
Detailed plant-room model and sections.
HVAC-14Cooling tower and pump-room coordination
Model and coordination drawings.
HVAC-15HVAC equipment and duct accessories
Model, tags and schedules.
HVAC-16HVAC riser diagrams and system schematics
Risers and schematics.
HVAC-17HVAC pipe and duct sizing calculations
Sizing calculations and schedules. Engineering design scope — only where design responsibility is explicitly agreed and supported by qualified engineers.
HVAC-18Heating and cooling load calculations
Load calculation report. Engineering design scope — only where design responsibility is explicitly agreed and supported by qualified engineers.
HVAC-19Airflow calculations and air-distribution schedules
Airflow schedule and calculations. Engineering design scope — only where design responsibility is explicitly agreed and supported by qualified engineers.
HVAC-20HVAC shop drawings and installation layouts
PDF/DWG drawing package.
HVAC-21HVAC equipment and technical schedules
Revit/Excel schedules.
HVAC-22HVAC quantities, insulation takeoffs and BOQs
Excel takeoff and BOQ.
How it runs
The sequence, and why it is in this order
Sequence is not a formality on this kind of work. Most of the expensive rework we are asked to fix was produced by doing step four before step two.
02
Zoning
Allocate the mechanical zone in the ceiling void and the riser allocation, and agree it with the other disciplines in writing.
03
Primary distribution
Route the largest ducts and mains first, against structure. Everything that follows is fitted to this, not the other way round.
04
Terminals and equipment
Place terminals, equipment and accessories, with tags and schedules populated from the model.
05
Access and clearance
Test coil pull, filter access, damper access and valve access as clearance rules across the whole model.
06
Documentation
Drawings, schedules and shop drawings issued with the QA rule set run.
What we need to start
The inputs that decide whether a start is a real start
Missing any of these is survivable. Not knowing which of them are missing is not, so we establish it at enquiry stage rather than at forty per cent.
- HVAC design drawings, schematics and equipment selections
- Architectural model or plans with ceiling heights and compartment lines
- Structural model or beam layouts — the depth constraint comes from here
- Selected plant data, if already procured
- The project BIM requirements, LOD/LOI and templates
AI & automation
Where AI and automation apply to this work
AI is used throughout our delivery workflow, and an engineer reviews every output. Every line carries its real status.
AIAI-assisted drawing reviewLive
HVAC layouts and equipment schedules read to extract systems, equipment and gaps before modelling.
AIAI-assisted clearance triageLive
Duct and plant clearance findings ranked by impact so the primary route is resolved first.
AutomationDuct and pipe parameter validationLive
Every run tested for size, system assignment, insulation and connectivity completeness before issue.
AutomationClearance rule sets for plant accessLive
Coil pull, filter and damper access tested as geometric rules across the federated model, not sampled by eye.
AutomationQuantity extractionLive
Duct, pipe and insulation quantities measured from the model for takeoffs and BOQ support.
AutomationFan duty drift detectionIn development
Accumulated pressure consequence of geometry changes along a run, reported as the change is made. In development on our own delivery.
Scope boundary
What this appointment does not include
Published because a scope boundary discovered at month three is a dispute, and the same boundary stated at enquiry stage is just information.
- Load calculations, duct and pipe sizing and specialist smoke-control analysis are not included unless design responsibility, inputs and qualified engineering resources are agreed.
- We do not perform CFD analysis, on-site commissioning or balancing.
- We do not certify compliance with a jurisdiction's mechanical code; your engineer of record certifies.
Request a quote
Get a quote: HVAC BIM
Tell us the building, the stage and what you need. An engineer replies within two working days with approach, deliverables and a fee basis.
Quote request received
Thank you — an engineer will reply within two working days.
Have drawings ready? Use the full enquiry form to attach them.
What a useful quote needs. Building type and approximate area, the disciplines, the project stage, and which drawings or models exist. If you have them ready, the full enquiry form takes file uploads.
NDAs. We sign before drawings or models are shared, as a matter of course.
FAQ
Questions we are asked at enquiry stage
Which HVAC systems do you model?
Ducted air systems, ventilation and exhaust, car-park ventilation, smoke-extract ductwork, chilled and condenser water piping, VRF/VRV refrigerant piping, split and ducted units, and mechanical plant rooms.
Do you calculate loads, or only model what we give you?
By default we model to the HVAC design your engineer supplies, and we will tell you if the modelled network disagrees with it. Load calculations and sizing are offered only where they are explicitly in scope and supported by qualified engineers.
Can you produce HVAC shop drawings?
Yes — installation layouts and shop drawings derived from the coordinated model. State the level of detail at enquiry stage, because it changes how the model is authored.
How do you handle a ceiling void that is too shallow?
We report it as a finding with the options and their consequences — aspect ratio change, a bulkhead, a re-zoning, or a raised slab-to-slab. What we will not do is quietly flatten the duct until it fits.
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