To create an external courtyard within a block, go to the required block by clicking on the navigator entry or double-clicking the block and then click on the Draw void perimeter tool. You can the select a perimeter shape and the line type used to draw it in the Drawing Options data panel:
After completing the perimeter, a courtyard is automatically generated within the block:
Important note: in simulations, the void space is treated as exterior to the building and not as any sort of zone. If you need to create an atrium space whose temperature and other conditions are simulated then avoid use of the Draw void perimeter tool and instead model it like any other zone within the block using partitions.
If you would like DesignBuilder to automatically punch voids through new blocks drawn on top of existing blocks having voids, then use the Automatically include voids from lower blocks model option which can be set on the Miscellaneous Edit tab of the model options dialog.
Restriction: The void perimeter lines you draw to create a void cannot touch any other external or internal wall, so you can't for example use the void command to take chunks out of the external wall - the void must be wholly contained within the block.
Restriction: You can't create any other objects within a void - the void space is reserved and you will get intersection errors if you try to draw a block in the void space. If you need to do this then you should create a "hard" void using Boolean tools instead (see below).
There are 2 ways to create voids, such as courtyards, in DesignBuilder:
The main practical differences between "soft" and "hard" voids are that: