It is not a hole as it would leak, and it is a texture. tools/nodraw.
You just like exploring is all. & with that level of exploring I am sure you will find another area with nodrawed brushes, just as you can in any official Half-life. Game designers can’t seal off every little area, y’know? & the more they try the more restrictive the final product feels. Although they could have just aimed the vent upwards and applied the tools/black texture to the top piece, but it really is unneeded for a spot only 1% (or less) of the players will go.