#### 5.4.3.17 IfcSpatialElement

| Element spatial
| Räumliches Element

A spatial element is the generalization of all spatial elements that might be used to define a spatial structure or to define spatial zones.

- a hierarchical spatial structure element as IfcSpatialStructureElement
  - a spatial structure is a hiearchical decomposition of the project. That spatial structure is often used to provide a project structure to organize a building project.
  - A spatial project structure might define as many levels of decomposition as necessary for the building project. Elements within the spatial project structure are site, building, storey, and space
- a spatial zone as IfcSpatialZone
  - a spatial zone is a non-hierarchical and potentially overlapping decomposition of the project under some functional consideration.
  - a spatial zone might be used to represent a thermal zone, a lighting zone, a usable area zone.
  - a spatial zone might have its independent placement and shape representation.

> HISTORY New entity in IFC4.

XSD Specification:

<xs:element name="IfcSpatialElement" type="ifc:IfcSpatialElement" abstract="true" substitutionGroup="ifc:IfcProduct" nillable="true"/>
<xs:complexType name="IfcSpatialElement" abstract="true">
<xs:complexContent>
<xs:extension base="ifc:IfcProduct"/>
</xs:complexContent>
</xs:complexType>

EXPRESS Specification:

ENTITY IfcSpatialElement

| ABSTRACT SUPERTYPE OF(IfcSpatialStructureElement)

| SUBTYPE OF (IfcProduct);

LongName | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;

| INVERSE

ContainsElements | : | SET OF IfcRelContainedInSpatialStructure FOR RelatingStructure;

END_ENTITY;

Attribute Definitions:

LongName | : | Long name for a spatial structure element, used for informal purposes. It should be used, if available, in conjunction with the inherited Name attribute. NOTE In many scenarios the Name attribute refers to the short name or number of a spacial element, and the LongName refers to the full descriptive name.
ContainsElements | : | Set of spatial containment relationships, that holds those elements, which are contained within this element of the project spatial structure. NOTE The spatial containment relationship, established by IfcRelContainedInSpatialStructure, is required to be an hierarchical relationship, where each element can only be assigned to 0 or 1 spatial structure element.

Inheritance Graph:

ENTITY IfcSpatialElement

| ENTITY IfcRoot

GlobalId | : | IfcGloballyUniqueId;
OwnerHistory | : | OPTIONAL IfcOwnerHistory;
Name | : | OPTIONAL IfcLabel;
Description | : | OPTIONAL IfcText;

| ENTITY IfcObjectDefinition

| INVERSE

HasAssignments | : | SET OF IfcRelAssigns FOR RelatedObjects;
Nests | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelNests FOR RelatedObjects;
IsNestedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelNests FOR RelatingObject;
HasContext | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelDeclares FOR RelatedDefinitions;
IsDecomposedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelAggregates FOR RelatingObject;
Decomposes | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelAggregates FOR RelatedObjects;
HasAssociations | : | SET OF IfcRelAssociates FOR RelatedObjects;

| ENTITY IfcObject

ObjectType | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;

| INVERSE

IsDeclaredBy | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelDefinesByObject FOR RelatedObjects;
Declares | : | SET OF IfcRelDefinesByObject FOR RelatingObject;
IsTypedBy | : | SET [0:1] OF IfcRelDefinesByType FOR RelatedObjects;
IsDefinedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelDefinesByProperties FOR RelatedObjects;

| ENTITY IfcProduct

ObjectPlacement | : | OPTIONAL IfcObjectPlacement;
Representation | : | OPTIONAL IfcProductRepresentation;

| INVERSE

ReferencedBy | : | SET OF IfcRelAssignsToProduct FOR RelatingProduct;

| ENTITY IfcSpatialElement

LongName | : | OPTIONAL IfcStrippedOptional;

| INVERSE

ContainsElements | : | SET OF IfcRelContainedInSpatialStructure FOR RelatingStructure;

END_ENTITY;

Link to this page