Inside the ReStart Scampia project: BIM design of domestic water and HVAC systems

BIM design of domestic water and HVAC systems with MagiCAD

ReStart Scampia is part of a public investment program for urban development in Naples, Italy. The project involves the construction of four residential buildings across two plots in connection with the transformation of the Vele di Scampia housing complex.

Perillo S.r.l. was commissioned to design the building services systems. The company used MagiCAD for Revit for the design of domestic water and HVAC systems, integrating modelling, sizing and balancing within the BIM model.

Complexity of the design project

The building configuration did not allow a single system layout to be applied across the entire development. Distribution layouts and residence types varied between the different blocks, directly affecting network routing, flow rates and balancing conditions.

The systems were therefore organised as independent networks for each stairwell.

The domestic water design covered cold, hot and hot water circulation networks. The HVAC design was also divided into independent networks defined according to the characteristics of each block.

The main design requirement was to manage different systems while maintaining consistent criteria, configurations and calculation methods across the project.

Setting up the workflow: template and dataset

The work was organised around the MagiCAD template and dataset. The template provided the basic project setup, while the dataset contained the configurations used by the team, including pipe series, insulation, system definitions, and sizing and balancing methods.

This content provides a shared basis for design and can be selected and imported into the project according to the characteristics of each network. This makes it possible to apply common criteria across the different systems while retaining control over system-specific choices.

“One of MagiCAD’s strengths is the dataset, which allows us to organise not only individual projects, but our design work as a whole. It includes not only pipe series and insulation, but also sizing and balancing methods.”

Modelling and sizing the domestic water networks

The domestic water networks were modelled and sized directly in Revit using MagiCAD tools.

Pipes, fittings and outlets combine 3D geometry with the technical data required for hydraulic calculations.

MagiCAD was used to automate the calculation of load units and determine circulation flow rates in accordance with UNI 9182:2014, while leaving the designer in control of the sizing criteria and methodology.

Based on the defined settings, the calculation engine provides flow rates, diameters and pressure losses, flagging any issues so that the affected sections can be checked quickly. The results are recorded in detailed reports and written directly to object parameters, making them available for documentation.

The reports remain linked to the modelled network making it possible to trace report rows back to the corresponding sections in the model and drawings.

Sizing and balancing the HVAC networks

MagiCAD was also used for the sizing and balancing of the HVAC networks.

The calculation tools in the software take into account the technical data associated with system components and enable analysis of flow distribution and network operating conditions.

The results helped identify potential issues and assess their effects directly in the model. Decisions concerning network configuration and component selection remained under the designer’s control.

“MagiCAD families are not just geometric representations: they also include the technical data required to perform calculations directly in the Revit model.”

The direct connection between objects, technical data and calculation results makes it possible to understand how component characteristics affect network behaviour.

Modelling and interdisciplinary coordination

Network modelling was supported by the connection and editing tools available in MagiCAD.

The Quick Connect tool makes it easier to connect devices to branches, while the Quick Offset function enables network routes to be modified around obstacles or clashes with other project elements.

Clash checking was integrated into the modelling process. Checks covered clashes between MEP networks and structural and architectural elements, with filtering according to category and element type.

Identifying clashes while the model is being developed makes it possible to adjust routes before the final design stages, when changes can be more complex.

From the model to project deliverables

Within project workflow, modelling, analysis and documentation shared the same information structure.

Data from sizing and balancing not only populated the detailed reports but was also written directly to object parameters, enabling drawing tags to be populated automatically. If the network was modified, only the affected sections needed to be recalculated, updating both element parameters and the associated drawings.

“Integrating MagiCAD with Revit allows us to develop the model and perform calculations in the same environment, and to produce deliverables directly from the model.”

In the ReStart Scampia project, this approach made it possible to manage different networks for each stairwell within a common workflow, linking project configuration, modelling, sizing, balancing and coordination.

The Revit model served as the working reference for developing the networks and producing the related project deliverables.

“The main advantage of MagiCAD is an integrated and coordinated design workflow that reduces errors and the time spent managing data, improving project quality and efficiency.”

Perillo S.r.l.

Perillo is an engineering company with around twenty years of experience in the civil and industrial design of building services systems. With offices in Bari, Milan and Tirana, the company has a team of around 50 professionals with expertise in MEP, energy design, fire safety and construction supervision.

The company works on public and private projects, developing building services solutions from the initial stages through to technical documentation and coordination with other design disciplines.

Perillo website: https://www.perillosrl.it/