Once you've established the basic structure of a building model in Autodesk Revit, the next stage is adding the architectural elements that bring the design together.
Doors, windows and curtain walls are essential components of most building projects. In Revit, these elements do more than define openings and glazed areas. They form part of the building information model, helping maintain consistency between plans, elevations, schedules and 3D views.
Understanding how to place, modify and manage these elements is an important skill for anyone getting started with Revit Architecture. In this guide, we'll look at the key tools involved and how they can be used to develop your architectural model.
Adding Doors in Revit
Doors in Revit are typically hosted by walls, meaning they are placed directly into an existing wall within your model.
When you add a door, Revit automatically creates the required opening in the host wall, helping maintain consistency between the model and its associated drawings.
How to Place a Door in Revit
- Open the relevant floor plan.
- Navigate to the Architecture tab.
- Select Door from the Build panel.
- Choose the required door family and type from the Type Selector.
- Move your cursor over the wall where the door will be positioned.
- Click to place the door.
Once placed, you can select the door to adjust its position, dimensions and other available properties.
Adjusting Door Properties
- Door width and height.
- Sill or threshold-related parameters.
- Door materials and finishes.
- Instance and type parameters.
- Door identification and scheduling information.
How to Add Windows in Revit
Windows follow a similar process to doors, with Revit using window families to define their geometry, dimensions and properties.
Placing windows directly into walls allows you to control their position and height while maintaining the relationship between the window and its host element.
How to Place a Window in Revit
- Open a floor plan or suitable 3D view.
- Go to the Architecture tab.
- Select Window from the Build panel.
- Choose the required window family and type.
- Position your cursor over the host wall.
- Click to place the window.
Once placed, the window can be repositioned or modified using its properties and available editing controls.
Adjusting Window Height and Position
One of the most important settings when placing windows is the Sill Height. This controls the vertical position of the window relative to its associated level.
For example, you may need to position a window above a kitchen worktop or align multiple windows across a building elevation.
You can adjust the sill height through the Properties palette, making it easier to maintain consistent positioning throughout the project. Other useful settings may include window dimensions, materials and identification parameters.
TMS Tip: Check window placement in both plan and elevation views. This helps confirm that the opening is positioned correctly and aligned with other architectural elements.
Understanding Revit Families for Doors and Windows
Doors and windows in Revit are generally created using loadable families.
A family defines the geometry, parameters and behaviour of an element, while different family types can represent variations in size or configuration. For example, a single window family may contain several types with different widths and heights.
Using families allows you to maintain consistent architectural components throughout your model.
How to Load Additional Families
If the required door or window isn't available in your project, you can load another family.
- Open the Insert tab.
- Select Load Family.
- Browse to the appropriate Revit family file.
- Select the family and load it into your project.
- Return to the Door or Window tool and select the required type.
You can also access compatible manufacturer content or other suitable family libraries.
When using externally sourced families, check that they are appropriate for your project and contain the required level of detail and information.
How to Create Curtain Walls in Revit
Curtain walls are commonly used to model glazed façades, shopfronts and other building elements that use panels and framing systems.
Unlike standard doors and windows, curtain walls are created using Revit's wall tools. They can include curtain panels, grids and mullions, allowing you to develop more detailed glazed systems within your architectural model.
How to Add a Curtain Wall
- Open the relevant floor plan or 3D view.
- Go to Architecture > Wall.
- From the Type Selector, choose a curtain wall type.
- Set the required wall constraints and height.
- Draw the curtain wall in the desired location.
- Finish the command and review the result in a 3D or elevation view.
Depending on the selected curtain wall type, Revit may automatically create grids and mullions. You can then refine the curtain wall layout to suit your design.
Editing Curtain Grids and Mullions
Curtain grids define how a curtain wall is divided into individual panels.
Mullions can then be added to the grid lines to represent the framing system.
For greater control, you can adjust grid spacing, add or remove grid lines and change individual panel types. This makes curtain walls particularly useful for modelling architectural features where the arrangement of glazing and framing needs to be developed and reviewed.
Adding Roofs and Room Tags in Revit
As your architectural model develops, you may also need to add roof elements and organise the spaces within the building.
Creating a Roof
Revit provides several methods for creating roofs, including Roof by Footprint and Roof by Extrusion.
For a straightforward pitched roof, Roof by Footprint allows you to sketch the roof boundary and define which edges create slopes. Once the roof has been created, you can review its shape in a 3D view and adjust its properties where necessary.
Using Room Tags
Room tags allow you to display information about the spaces within your model.
After placing rooms, you can use room tags to show information such as room names and numbers.
This is useful for creating clear architectural floor plans and supporting room schedules.
Room tags are annotations associated with room elements, so it's important to ensure rooms have been placed and defined correctly before relying on their information.
Tips for Working with Doors, Windows and Curtain Walls
As your model becomes more detailed, a few simple practices can help you maintain consistency and avoid unnecessary rework.
- Check your levels and constraints: Before placing architectural elements, make sure the building levels and wall constraints are set up correctly. This helps prevent positioning issues later.
- Use the correct family types: Rather than modifying individual elements unnecessarily, use suitable family types to maintain consistency across the project.
- Review your model in multiple views: A door or window may appear correctly positioned in plan but require adjustment in elevation or 3D. Checking multiple views can help identify issues earlier.
- Keep your model information organised: Use consistent naming conventions for families and types, and make sure important parameters are populated where required.
These small steps can make your model easier to manage as the project progresses.
Building Your Revit Architecture Skills
Doors, windows and curtain walls are fundamental elements of an architectural model, but understanding how they interact with the rest of your project is just as important.
By learning how to work with families, control element properties and review your model across different views, you can develop more consistent and reliable building models.
As you become more confident with these tools, you can begin exploring more advanced Revit features, including schedules, documentation, room data and model coordination.
Develop Your Revit Skills with TMS CADCentre
Looking to improve your Revit knowledge? At TMS CADCentre, we offer instructor-led Revit training designed to help architects, designers and construction professionals develop practical modelling skills.
Our Revit for Architecture – Essentials course covers the fundamentals of building modelling, including walls, doors, windows, roofs, curtain walls and project documentation.
Explore our Revit training courses or contact our team to discuss the best option for you.
