Floor Area Calculation
Floor Area: Sum of all the floor areas enclosed in the thermal envelope.
Floor area is the sum of all flat-horizontal surface area servicing regularly occupied and conditioned space. Measurements must be taken from the exterior faces of exterior walls OR from the centerline of walls separating buildings.
This differs from Gross Floor Area (GFA) which includes all floor areas, whether conditioned/regularly occupied or not, such as basements, mezzanine and intermediate-floored tiers, and penthouses. Including unnecessary floor objects/ surface area will interrupt the accuracy of building loads, baseline inputs automation, and sDA & ASE 3D Analysis.
Also, the floor area export in cove.tool is the largest contributor to simulation wait-time, so be sure to remove any unnecessary individual objects such as stairs, windows sill, stages, or landings. The ideal geometry looks like intact structural floor plates, however, this varies from project to project.
In calculating floor area, the following should be excluded:
Floor Areas outside of the thermal envelope such as site floors, balconies, open-air walkways
Non-enclosed (or non-enclosable) roofed-over areas, such as exterior covered walkways, porches, terraces or steps, roof overhangs, and similar features.
Floor area is dedicated to the parking and circulation of motor vehicles.
Stairways (steps and landings)
Mezzanine floors
Voids, Air shafts, Elevator Shafts, and Chimneys
Terraces and open-air porches
The sloped and tier-floor area should be simplified.
