# Building the space model

Describe your building's locations – buildings, staircases, floors and apartments – with the space model builder, and edit them later.

Language: en
Canonical: https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/building-the-space-model

The space model is the list of physical locations in your project: the plot, buildings, sections or staircases, floors, and the spaces on each floor. Sitedrive plans work location by location, so the space model is the first thing to set up in a new schedule. Each schedule has its own space model.

## Before you start

-   You need the **Schedule** role on the schedule (or **Site** / **Account admin**). See [Roles and what each one can do](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/roles).
-   Have the building's basic structure at hand: how many buildings, staircases (or sections) and floors, and roughly how many apartments or zones per floor.

## How the space model is structured

Every space has a type. From the top down, the types are **Plot**, **Building**, **Section**, **Floor**, **Zone** and **Space**, plus **Other**. In an apartment building a staircase is a section and an apartment is a zone.

Work packages are attached to the lowest-level spaces. From the space model, Sitedrive builds the [location breakdowns](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/location-breakdowns) that views such as Takt use to group the locations.

## Build the space model with the builder

The builder creates a whole building in one go. You can open it from an empty schedule or from the settings.

1.  Open the schedule. In the Gantt's **Area** column, select the **(+)** button next to "Sitedrive is best with locations. Add space model to start!". You can also go to **Schedule settings** (gear icon) → **Space model**.
2.  The **Space Model** builder opens. At the top, choose **Apartment Building** or **Commercial Building**. An apartment building puts staircases before floors; a commercial building puts floors first.
3.  For each level, check the label, for example **Level 1 Label** "Building", **Level 2 Label** "Staircase", **Level 3 Label** "Floor", **Level 4 Label** "Apt".
4.  Use **(+)** and **(−)** on each row to add or remove spaces on that level. For Harbour View Apartments you would add one building, two staircases (A and B) and five floors.
5.  To change how spaces are numbered, select the numbering button on the row (for example **1,2,3** or **A,B,C**) and choose another numbering.
6.  Optional: on the apartment level, choose an **Apt Type**. Select **Edit types...** to define the rooms in each apartment type.
7.  Optional: add extra spaces such as a roof, foundation or AHU room. Type the **Additional space name**, choose the **Parent Type**, and select **(+)**. The builder adds a space with that name under each space of the parent type, for example one AHU room under each staircase.
8.  Check the preview tree on the right. It shows the whole structure, for example Plot > Building 1 > Staircase A > Floor 1 > Apt A1.
9.  Select **Ready**.

![The Space Model builder with building, staircase, floor and apartment levels and the preview tree](https://support.sitedrive.com/media/help/guide/building-the-space-model/01-space-model-wizard.webp)

Sitedrive shows "Your space model is ready for planning. Next, use the Floor Level view to refine where each task takes place." Select **Open Floor Level View** to continue. Two Takt views, **Takt - Floor level** and **Takt - Zone level**, now appear as tabs in the schedule. Next, place your work into locations with [Define areas](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/define-areas).

If you are not ready yet, select **Do later** to close the builder without creating spaces.

_Apartment Building: add buildings, staircases, floors and apartments with + and watch the tree grow on the right._

_Commercial Building orders the levels Building, Floor, Area and Space._

## View and edit the space model

1.  Go to **Schedule settings** → **Space model**.
2.  The table lists every space with its **Space name**, **Type**, **Floor area**, **Space Classification**, **Tags**, **Work packages** (how many are placed there) and **Quantities**.
3.  Select **Edit** to change the model. In edit mode you can rename spaces, change their type, and add, move, indent or delete rows from the row menu.
4.  Save your changes.

![The space model table in Schedule settings with space names, types and work package counts](https://support.sitedrive.com/media/help/guide/building-the-space-model/02-space-model-editor.webp)

## Start from blank

If you prefer to type the structure yourself, select **Start from blank**. The editor opens with a **Plot** row.

1.  Select the **Plot** row.
2.  Press Enter to add a row and type a name, for example _Building A_.
3.  Press Tab to indent the row one level, under the row above it.
4.  Keep pressing Enter for a new row and Tab to indent it. Sitedrive sets each row's type (Building, Section, Floor and so on) from its level.
5.  Select **Save**. **Cancel** discards everything you typed.

_Type a name, Enter for the next row, Tab to indent it._

## Import the space model from Excel

For large or irregular projects it can be quicker to prepare the locations in a spreadsheet.

1.  In **Space model**, choose **Import from Excel**.
2.  Select **Download the Excel template** and fill in one row per space (columns Plot, Building, Section, Floor, Zone, Space).
3.  Drop the filled-in `.xlsx` file on the import area, review the result and save.

You can re-import an updated file later. Sitedrive then shows what was added, updated, renamed and missing before you save.

_Fill in the template in Excel: one row per space, with the same names in the Plot, Building, Section and Floor columns for spaces that belong together._

_Drop a filled-in Excel template, then review the spaces in the editor before you save._

## Good to know

-   **Deleting a space also removes the work planned in it.** The editor warns you how many work packages lose their location. Check the **Work packages** column before deleting.
-   If you add a new, lower level under a space that already has work, the work moves automatically down to the new spaces.
-   Changing between **Apartment Building** and **Commercial Building** in the builder resets the model and deletes all spaces.
-   The system location breakdowns update automatically when you change the space model. New views are not added automatically if you grow the model later.
-   IFC import is not available yet. Use Excel instead.

## Related

-   [Location breakdowns](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/location-breakdowns)
-   [Define areas: putting work into locations](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/define-areas)
-   [Takt](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/takt)
-   [Key concepts in five minutes](https://support.sitedrive.com/en/kb/key-concepts)