Shafts

Draw a shaft once on the storey it starts from, and it opens every floor above it to the top of the building, with a reveal on each. A light well can cut the roof too; a lift shaft stops at the deck.

Draw a shaft

Every property, and what it does

Select a shaft and these are its rows.

Reach

Which floors the shaft opens.

Field	What it does	Values
Base storey	The storey it is drawn on. The outline stays where it is on the page.	Any storey
Top storey	The highest storey whose floor it opens. Left at the top, it keeps meaning the top as the building grows.	Any storey above, or the top
Cuts the roof	A light well opens the roof; a lift shaft stops at the deck.	On or off

Symbol

How the shaft is drawn on the plan.

Field	What it does	Values
Show cross	The cross the plan draws over a void, the way a drawing marks an opening.	On or off

Derived

Read from the shaft as it is.

Field	What it does	Values
Area	The area of the opening.	Square metres
Perimeter	The length round the opening.	Metres

How the Shaft tool works

Open the Shaft tool
In the editor, open Build and choose Shaft, or type SHAFT (SH).
Click each corner
Click each corner of the hole on the storey it starts from. Click the first corner again, or press Enter, to close it.
Every floor above is cut
It runs to the top storey, cutting each floor it passes with a reveal, until its panel says otherwise.
Set its reach
Choose the top storey it opens, and whether it cuts the roof as a light well.

Shaft questions, answered.

What is a shaft for?

Any opening through several floors: a lift shaft, a service riser, a light well or an atrium.

Do I draw it on every floor?

No. Draw it once on the storey it starts from; it cuts every floor above it up to its top storey.

Can a shaft open the roof?

Yes. Turn on Cuts the roof for a light well. A lift shaft leaves it off and stops at the deck.

Read on

Slabs: Floors no walls enclose.
Stair Design: Stairs that cut their own stairwell.
Walls and rooms docs: Drawing walls, build ups, rooms, slabs and shafts.