Journal Three   
// Angelique Meza // Week of February 8th // 

Goals for the Weeks  

❖ Start making hallways for level 3 and 4 connect properly to side buildings and 
elevators  
❖ Make sure level 2 walls and general floor plan/layout is done  
❖ Learn how to import furniture and designs into revit using outside program  
❖ Upload Ally's files onto USB drive  
❖ Finish deciding how stacking of studios and singles will work on each level (layout)  
❖ Finish setting up 2-3 bedroom walls on levels 
❖ fix dimensions of elevator, communal level walls, and studio/single ceilings for 
stacking 

My Research and What I Learned  

Overall Exterior Layout  
Over the course of the past few weeks Ally and I have spent a lot of our time putting 
together the levels and exterior walls of our complex layout. Taking into account the advice our 
advisors had given us during our first meeting, Ally and I made a few adjustments and came up 
with new ideas to put into our revit model. Our model consists of seven levels. The first two not 
pictured in the model currently our underground garage/parking areas for the residents and 
guests. Our level one and two are considered communal areas. Levels three and four are 
designated for the living spaces for residents. It was suggested during our first meeting with our 
advisors that we could potentially mix studios, singles, two, and three bedroom apartments within 
the same level which would save space and add a variety of balcony placements that would add to 
the overall aesthetic and community feeling of the patio space. Based on this advice, Ally and I 
decided to plan level three and four with the idea of having one side of the complex level to consist 
of two and three bedroom apartments, while the other side of the same level would have singles 
and studios. It was also suggested during this meeting that we could potentially stack studios and 
singles in order to offset an issue of our twenty foot height for levels being too high for ten feet 
high studio/singles. Ally and I used this suggestion to come up with a layout that would allow for a 
mix of studios and singles on the same level where studios/singles could be stacked on top of 
eachother and there would be a mix of singles that are two levels. Residents would have access to 
these apartments through a communal hallway/lobby area inside the complex (connected to the 
elevator hallway area). Finally, our roof area would be used to provide scenery views, space for our 
solar panels, and space for the community garden and greenhouse.  

 
  

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Views of the overall exterior of the complex  

 
 

Communal Area Layout  

Level one consists of the office/ front desk for the complex, tenant spaces, a cafe area, two 
elevator pillars, and two staircases that lead to level two. This first level is meant to be a fully 
public area that is inlunced by other public spaces previously researched such as the Dairy Block. 
When speaking to our advisor Tom, he brought up some great ideas about making the area feel 
open (similar to the dairy block. This makes it feel more connected and communal, as opposed to 
every tenant space and area feeling closed off and apart from each other. These tenant spaces can 
allow for smaller local businesses to be available to residents and bring in new guests to the 
complex which will allow for a lively feeling to the first floor.  
Tom also brought up the question of whether our second level was going to be open to the 
public. Ally and I decided that the amenities and area provided by our level two patio should only 
be available for our residents and guests who rent out available tenant spaces on the patio. Such 
tenant spaces will be available on the inner building sections of level two on the left and right side. 
In order to ensure that this patio is private, Ally and I have decided the elevator and stairs will 
require a keypad in order to access levels beyond the first floor. While our first level emphasizes 
more of an interior business market concept, we wanted our patio area to be able to connect our 
residents to nature and the outdoors. This is why we allow or open area green roof space that will 
include plants, trees, and resting areas so residents can have both a community and semi-private 
areas that allow them to be near nature. Towards the back of our patio, both side buildings are 
connected by an interior pool room that can be opened with sliding glass doors so it can allow easy 
access inside and out of the open patio.  
  

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Level 2 (communal patio and building area)  

 
 
 

2 Bedroom and 3 Bedroom Layouts  

Although Ally and I have decided to mix all apartment sizes on both levels, My 
responsibility is specifically to model two and three bedroom apartments. My design for both of 
these apartments goes off an open living room and kitchen concept. I also really wanted to 
implement the idea of the upper level being more of an open loft design, instead of a completely 
closed off from the first floor of the apartment. Based on feedback from our advisor Alexander 
during our first meeting, I started to re-think about the placement of certain areas/rooms in the 
apartment. Alexander suggested that I should think about the placement of windows and lighting 
of the space. For example, if a room like the bedroom doesn't need as much window access as 
another area like the kitchen, I should think about putting it closer to the wall that separates the 
apartments since I won't be able to put any windows on that wall. He also suggested things such 
as the railing/hallway space for the upper loft area, I should consider shortening the walkway 
closer to the entrance to the bedroom so that there isn't any unnecessary workspace that wont be 
used.  
  

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As far as placement of these apartments in the complex, there will be two of both the two 
and three bedroom apartments per level. Similar to what was proposed initially, the layout of the 
apartments will switch off between both two bedroom and 3 bedroom apartments. Each elevator 
will have a hallway that allows access to the apartments. Each apartment will also have balconies 
that face toward the patio (this has not been modeled into revit yet).  
 
 
 

Bibliography  

1. Bimobject.com. “Download Free Revit, ArchiCAD, SketchUp, Vectorworks and AutoCAD 

BIM Objects.” ​BIMobject​, ​www.bimobject.com/en/product?sort=downloadcount​. 
2. “Revit for Architecture and Design: Revit Architectural Software.” ​Revit for Architecture and 
Design | Revit Architectural Software​, www.autodesk.com/products/revit/architecture.  
3. Expert advisors Courtney Wilson, Tom Magnuson, and Alexander Bender 

Accomplishments  
❖ Finished exterior walls and dimensions for my levels in Revit  
❖ Solved studio/single stacking layout problem with Ally  
❖ Learned how to use ImbObject to put in furniture, utilities, etc into our model  
(Example photos included above) 

 
Reflection on Goals and Timeline 
So far Ally and I seem to be on track with our modeling timeline. I think we may have 
to start speeding up the pace a bit as far as getting the walls in for our floor plans, that 
way we'll have enough time to thoroughly furnish our model for rendering and 
walkthroughs. I think talking and getting advice from our advisors about certain issues 
or ideas we have had over these few weeks has been really helpful in terms of getting a 
new perspective to look at our complex from. I'm really happy with what Ally and I 
have accomplished with our model so far. I'm really looking forward to getting all our 
rooms and communal areas fully furnished, materials put in, and “painted” in these 
coming weeks.  
  

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