Question-and-Answer Resource for the Building Energy Modeling Community
 | 1 | initial version |
I'd recommend modelling these 'outdoor' spaces in the same way you would 'indoor' spaces. You say the top floor is mostly open to the outdoors. That's a zone with a high outdoor air exchange rate and air walls or other no mass walls. An EnergyPlus zone requires at least 6 surfaces that enclose a region of space. You need to think about the properties of those bounding surfaces to achieve your goal.
