Spaces are now always imported, and consistent with the rest of the spatial tree. Yes, I don't know why I held off for so long. Deprecate "import spaces". Spaces are important.

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/import_ifc.py

@@ -780,9 +780,6 @@ class IfcImporter:
         if element is None:
             return
 
-        if not self.ifc_import_settings.should_import_spaces and element.is_a("IfcSpace"):
-            return
-
         self.ifc_import_settings.logger.info("Creating object %s", element)
 
         if mesh:
@@ -1084,8 +1081,6 @@ class IfcImporter:
 
     def add_related_objects(self, parent, related_objects):
         for element in related_objects:
-            if element.is_a("IfcSpace"):
-                continue
             global_id = element.GlobalId
             collection = bpy.data.collections.new(self.get_name(element))
             self.spatial_structure_elements[global_id] = {"blender": collection}
@@ -1129,8 +1124,6 @@ class IfcImporter:
             container = element.ContainedInStructure[0].RelatingStructure
         elif hasattr(element, "Decomposes") and element.Decomposes:
             container = element.Decomposes[0].RelatingObject
-        if container.is_a("IfcSpace"):
-            return self.get_aggregate_container(container)
         return container
 
     def create_openings_collection(self):
@@ -1179,9 +1172,7 @@ class IfcImporter:
             and element.ContainedInStructure[0].RelatingStructure
         ):
             container = element.ContainedInStructure[0].RelatingStructure
-            if container.is_a("IfcSpace"):
-                return self.place_object_in_spatial_tree(container, obj)
-            elif element.is_a("IfcGrid"):
+            if element.is_a("IfcGrid"):
                 grid_collection = bpy.data.collections.get(obj.name)
                 if grid_collection:  # Just in case we ran into invalid grids from Revit
                     self.spatial_structure_elements[container.GlobalId]["blender"].children.link(grid_collection)
@@ -1193,22 +1184,15 @@ class IfcImporter:
             if element.Decomposes[0].RelatingObject.is_a("IfcProject"):
                 collection = self.project["blender"]
             elif element.Decomposes[0].RelatingObject.is_a("IfcSpatialStructureElement"):
-                if element.is_a("IfcSpatialStructureElement") and not element.is_a("IfcSpace"):
+                if element.is_a("IfcSpatialStructureElement"):
                     global_id = element.GlobalId
-                else:
-                    global_id = element.Decomposes[0].RelatingObject.GlobalId
                 if global_id in self.spatial_structure_elements:
                     if (
                         element.is_a("IfcSpatialStructureElement")
-                        and not element.is_a("IfcSpace")
                         and "blender_obj" in self.spatial_structure_elements[global_id]
                     ):
                         bpy.data.objects.remove(self.spatial_structure_elements[global_id]["blender_obj"])
                     collection = self.spatial_structure_elements[global_id]["blender"]
-                # This may occur if we are nesting an IfcSpace (which is special
-                # since it does not have a collection within an IfcSpace
-                if not collection:
-                    return self.place_object_in_spatial_tree(element.Decomposes[0].RelatingObject, obj)
             else:
                 collection = self.aggregates[element.Decomposes[0].RelatingObject.GlobalId]["blender"]
             if collection:
@@ -1432,7 +1416,6 @@ class IfcImportSettings:
         self.logger = None
         self.input_file = None
         self.diff_file = None
-        self.should_import_spaces = False
         self.should_auto_set_workarounds = True
         self.should_use_cpu_multiprocessing = True
         self.should_merge_by_class = False

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/operator.py

@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ class ImportIFC(bpy.types.Operator, ImportHelper):
     filename_ext = ".ifc"
     filter_glob: bpy.props.StringProperty(default="*.ifc;*.ifczip;*.ifcxml", options={"HIDDEN"})
 
-    should_import_spaces: bpy.props.BoolProperty(name="Import Spaces", default=False)
     should_auto_set_workarounds: bpy.props.BoolProperty(name="Automatically Set Vendor Workarounds", default=True)
     should_use_cpu_multiprocessing: bpy.props.BoolProperty(name="Import with CPU Multiprocessing", default=True)
     should_merge_by_class: bpy.props.BoolProperty(name="Import and Merge by Class", default=False)
@@ -140,7 +139,6 @@ class ImportIFC(bpy.types.Operator, ImportHelper):
         )
 
         settings = import_ifc.IfcImportSettings.factory(context, self.filepath, logger)
-        settings.should_import_spaces = self.should_import_spaces
         settings.should_auto_set_workarounds = self.should_auto_set_workarounds
         settings.should_use_cpu_multiprocessing = self.should_use_cpu_multiprocessing
         settings.should_merge_by_class = self.should_merge_by_class