Block Model

The Novant Block Model defines how building structure, systems, and data connect. It is built from four core entity types: Spaces, Zones, Assets, and Sources. Together they provide physical context, system context, equipment context, and data context.

Spaces

Spaces model the physical layout of the building: floors, rooms, areas. They describe where things are.

Key relationships:

• Parent Space – spaces form a hierarchy (Building → Floor → Room).
• Assets in Space – assets are assigned to the space where they physically exist.

Zones

Zones represent operational or control groupings such as HVAC zones or lighting zones. They describe how systems operate across spaces.

Key relationships:

• Parent Zone – zones can be nested to represent larger system regions.
• Spaces in Zone – a zone can cover one or many spaces.
• Assets in Zone – equipment serving that zone can be linked for analytics and control context.

Assets

Assets represent physical equipment: AHUs, VAVs, meters, sensors, and similar devices.

Key relationships:

• Parent Asset (fed-by relationship) – an asset can be “fed by” another asset (e.g., AHU feeds VAVs; Chiller feeds AHU). This builds an equipment flow graph.
• Located in Space – the physical location of the asset.
• Belongs to Zone – the operational domain the asset serves.

Sources

Sources represent the devices and services that provide data — BACnet controllers, Modbus devices, APIs, and cloud feeds. They collect and trend the point data used throughout the model.

Key relationships:

• Parent Asset – source points are mapped to the assets they represent, giving the data spatial and system context.