Analytical space model for interfacing with energy analysis, facilities management or other analysis applications

A method for exchanging a design of a structure between a modeling application executing on a computer system having a display, and an analysis application, the method comprising:

• scanning an architectural model of the structure that is used by the modeling application, the architectural model including model elements, wherein at least some of the model elements are walls having a three-dimensional shape with non-zero thickness, the scanning to identify the model elements and their interrelationships;
• using the identified model elements and their interrelationships to generate an analytical interface model within the modeling application, the analytical interface model describing the structure in terms of spaces bounded by zero-thickness surfaces, generation of the analytical interface model to abstract the at least some model elements of the architectural model which have three-dimensional shape with non-zero thickness into zero-thickness surfaces in the analytical interface model;
• automatically adjusting an extent of at least some of the zero-thickness surfaces to differ from an extent of their corresponding model elements of the architectural model by
• determining two or more walls are connected in the architectural model,
• determining a gap will occur between zero-thickness surfaces corresponding to the two or more walls in the analytical interface model, and
• in response to the determining two or more walls are connected and the determining a gap will occur, automatically adding a virtual surface joining the zero-thickness surfaces corresponding to the two or more walls to prevent the gap;
• displaying a visual representation of the analytical interface model to a user within a user interface of the modeling application shown on the display of the computer system;
• modifying the analytical interface model within the modeling application absent changing the architectural model;
• and
• transferring information regarding the spaces and the zero-thickness surfaces of the analytical interface model to the analysis application, the information used by the analysis application to build a separate analytical model used by the analysis application.