24.01.2025

Digital twins: how virtual building models create sustainable added value

Building design

Sustainability

Digital twins enable a virtual real-time model of construction projects. They optimize planning and precisely monitor structures, energy consumption and workflows. © Alex Wong | Unsplash

A digital twin is an exact virtual image of a real object – in this case a building or an infrastructure facility. With the help of IoT sensors, big data and artificial intelligence, a physical building is continuously monitored and its data is transferred to a digital model in real time. The result is a virtual image that depicts all the details and conditions of the real building, providing valuable insights for planning, use and maintenance. […]

Interesting detail: The idea of digital twins originally arose in the aerospace industry, where virtual models were used to monitor and analyze aircraft. Today, this technology is finding its way into the construction and real estate industry, where it promises similarly transformative effects.

The digital twins are based on highly developed technologies that collect and process precise and continuous data on the condition and use of a building.

IoT (Internet of Things)

IoT devices, such as sensors and actuators, continuously collect data on temperature, humidity, energy consumption and more. This data is recorded in real time and transferred to the digital model, enabling real-time monitoring of the building.

Big data and data analysis

The huge amounts of data generated by IoT devices need to be stored and analyzed. This is where big data comes into play, making it possible to structure and evaluate this data. Analyzing this data provides important information about the condition and efficiency of the building.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

AI plays a central role in the analysis of big data. Machine learning algorithms can be used to identify potential problems such as the need for repairs or inefficient energy use and make predictions to optimize building use.

Cloud computing

As digital twins are big data models, a powerful infrastructure for storing and processing the data is essential. The cloud provides the required storage space and computing power and also enables cross-location collaboration.

Practical example: In an innovative construction project in London, a new office complex uses IoT and AI to monitor energy consumption and maintenance requirements. The data collected is stored in the cloud and analyzed daily, reducing energy consumption by 15%.

Digital Twins are widely used in the construction industry and in building management. They enable precise planning, facilitate construction monitoring and contribute to the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the building.

Planning phase

A digital twin can be created as early as the planning phase of a construction project. Architects and engineers use the digital model to create simulations and see how the building reacts to various influences. This can help to minimize construction errors in advance and maximize the efficiency of the design.

Construction and construction supervision

During the construction phase, the digital twin provides continuous monitoring of the construction site. IoT sensors collect data on progress, material consumption and other relevant parameters. This allows deviations from the plan to be detected and rectified at an early stage. Safety on the construction site is also improved by digital twins, as potential risks can be identified at an early stage.

Facility management and maintenance

Once a building has been completed, the digital twin is used for facility management. The collected data can be used to monitor the condition of the building elements and maintenance work can be planned proactively. The digital twin ensures that the building is used efficiently and that operating costs are reduced in the long term.

Practical example: A hospital in Munich used digital twins to control the air conditioning and heating system more efficiently. By monitoring the temperature and air quality in real time, it was possible to reduce energy consumption by 20% and optimize the indoor climate for patients and staff.

Digital twins offer a number of advantages, but also pose challenges and hurdles, mainly related to implementation and data protection.

Advantages

Precision and efficiency: The exact replica of the building and real-time monitoring allow resources to be used optimally and errors to be detected at an early stage.
Cost savings: Proactive maintenance and optimization of building usage can reduce costs for repairs and operation.
Improved sustainability: Digital twins promote resource-conserving and environmentally friendly construction, as materials and energy are used more efficiently.
Increased safety: Digital twins make risks visible at an early stage, which increases safety on construction sites and in building operations.

Challenges

High implementation costs: The introduction of a digital twin requires high investments in hardware, software and training.
Complexity: Implementing and using a digital twin is complex and requires specific technical expertise.
Data security: As a large amount of data is collected and stored, security measures are required to protect sensitive information.
Scalability: The effort required to create and maintain a digital twin can be challenging for very large or older buildings.

Expert opinion: According to a survey by the Fraunhofer Institute, 65% of companies in the construction industry see the high implementation costs as the biggest hurdle when introducing digital twins.

One of the main advantages of digital twins is their contribution to sustainable construction. The precise control and monitoring of buildings can save valuable resources and reduce the ecological footprint.

Material savings

As early as the planning phase, architects can use digital twins to precisely calculate material requirements, which reduces the overproduction and waste of building materials.

Energy efficiency

Digital twins enable precise control of energy consumption. Continuous data monitoring allows heating, ventilation and cooling systems to be optimally adjusted. Lighting and air conditioning systems can also be controlled as required, further reducing energy consumption.

Extending the life cycle

Digital twins make it possible to monitor the entire life cycle of a building and carry out maintenance measures at an early stage. Predictive maintenance prevents damage and increases the longevity of building components.

Sustainable construction projects: A large residential building in Zurich uses digital twins to optimize energy consumption and reduce CO₂ emissions. Smart control of heating and ventilation saves the building 18% in energy costs every year.

The development of digital twins is progressing and offers promising approaches that will continue to change the construction industry.

Integration of virtual and augmented reality: Linking digital twins with VR and AR makes it possible to experience construction projects in a virtual environment as early as the planning phase and to test design decisions.
Autonomous building management: In the future, AI-controlled digital twins could manage buildings autonomously, e.g. by controlling heating and lighting depending on occupancy.
Global networking: Digital twins could be networked worldwide, improving the efficiency and sustainability of entire cities and regions.

Future outlook: Singapore’s city government is working on a project to create a complete digital copy of the city to monitor and optimize urban development, transport infrastructure and environmental impact in real time.

Digital twins are one of the most forward-looking technologies in the construction and real estate industry. They enable precise planning, improve efficiency and promote sustainable building management. Companies that invest in digital twins not only secure a competitive advantage, but also make an important contribution to sustainability. The ongoing development and growing range of applications make digital twins an indispensable technology for the future of architecture and construction.

Final thought: digital twins are not only revolutionizing buildings, but also the way we think about sustainable, intelligent cities.

By the way: the sign of the Blauer Stern cinema on the Wilhelminian-style building in the lively Hermann-Hesse-Straße in Berlin-Pankow has remained unchanged for many decades. A lot has changed inside.

22.10.2024

Project

Riding the Hills – “Into the Wild” design studio

Building design

Mountain bikers already ride through the hills of Berlin’s Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg. With her design, Sabine Seemann wants to further strengthen this use of the park. Not only the riders themselves, but also other park visitors should be able to immerse themselves in the sport. Sabine Seemann describes how these two groups come into contact with each other in her project presentation below. The work was created as part of the “Into the Wild” design studio at the TU Berlin.

It’s not just in our September 2023 issue that we make space for student projects. Students also present their own work on our website – for example in this article. You can find all the projects on our “Studies” topic page and the September issue is available in our store.

Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg is becoming the new mountain bike hotspot in Berlin. The Volkspark, which was filled with rubble from the Second World War, is characterized in particular by its topography. This special topography is already used and appreciated by mountain bikers.

The design aims to promote the existing use of mountain biking and bring it into harmony with park visitors. Elements will be developed to make mountain biking visible, tangible and safe for walkers. This will create interesting intersections where the different flows of mountain bikers and visitors can meet at different height levels.

In addition to the crossing points, so-called contact points are also created between the two user groups. At these contact points, there is always the opportunity to meet at eye level within the park. For example, the wall rides at different heights provide dynamic moments between the two user groups.

Individual mountain bike elements such as doubles, step ups and step downs are also designed to provide riders with a challenge and enjoy the sport on the trails. These are based on the usual elements found on established mountain bike trails. Individual mountain bike elements will also be implemented on the trails for park visitors.

Wallwalks, sticks and stones as well as ups and downs bring the most common challenges to visitors without a bike. For example, there are always individual stations on the walking paths that can be negotiated on foot without cutting through the barrier-free access. In the southern section of the park around the Hohe Plateau, mountain biking is set to become a highlight.

Riders can start their training with the so-called Towerride and the Northshore route (elevated mountain bike route) on the existing open land biotope. The tower ride on the high plateau is a circular tower that initially leads up a 20 percent incline to an intermediate level, the viewing platform. Here, mountain bikers can ride upwards on a one-meter-wide path.

In addition, a one-metre-wide asphalt path also leads up to the platform, which can be used by park visitors. Here, pedestrians can experience how challenging mountain biking can be on the steep ramp. From the viewing platform, visitors to the park get a great view of the continuing mountain bike route across the open land biotope.

The design was created as part of the “Into the Wild” design studio at the TU Berlin. You can read more about the background to the studio and Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg here, and discover more designs by students here.

01.01.2025

Architecture

Großweikersdorf community center by smartvoll Architekten

Building design

The new community center of the Lower Austrian municipality of Großweikersdorf combines town hall

The new community center in Großweikersdorf, Lower Austria, is more than just a town hall. In addition to the municipal administration, there is also space for a clubhouse and a medical center in the elongated building. In an interview, Philipp Buxbaum and Christian Kircher from smartvoll architects explain why they weren’t really interested in the project to begin with.

The new community center in Großweikersdorf, Lower Austria, is more than just a town hall. In addition to the municipal administration, there is also space for a clubhouse and a medical center in the elongated building. In this interview, Philipp Buxbaum and Christian Kircher from smartvoll architects explain why they weren’t really interested in the project to begin with.

What is unusual about your design for the Großweikersdorf community center?

Philipp Buxbaum: Breaking through the row of houses and turning the building itself by 90 degrees. When you study architecture, you are always taught to close the row of houses in order to strengthen the space in front of it. In 99 percent of cases, this is true. That’s why our design initially feels like stroking a dog against the grain. Nevertheless, it was precisely this decision that really catapulted the whole community center project in Großweikersdorf forward.

Christian Kircher: It was the only way we were able to design a building that is now a built gesture of welcome, and we were able to make the open spaces available to the public. The community center is not just a façade in a row. It is accessible from all sides and has depth. In comparison, administrative buildings and buildings of public interest in Austria have an average of ten percent open space for the public. In Großweikersdorf, we have almost 50 percent, and this is really accessible to everyone.

Apart from that, which decisions would you now, in retrospect, consider particularly important for the current appearance of the community center?

PB: Well, you have to go back to the very beginning. We were called by the mayor of Großweikersdorf and asked whether we would like to take part in an architectural competition for the community center. We discussed this internally for a long time, but came to the decision that we were not interested in building a project on the edge of the village. We didn’t want to seal off any more space or draw footfall away from the village center. We believe that a town hall should be accessible to everyone. It would also eliminate the possibility of a meeting place for everyone. So we called to cancel this competition. We were then informed that the mayor and the municipal council had decided to acquire a plot of land in the center of Großweikersdorf. It was an old butcher’s shop on the main square that had been empty for almost ten years. We were immediately involved.

CK: So you could say that one of the absolutely most important decisions for this project was not made by us, the architects. Rather, it was the local council and thus indirectly every citizen of the municipality itself. Now the building contributes to the frequency in the village center through its functions of town hall, doctor’s office and clubhouse and is really accessible to everyone.

How many topics or designs did you discuss and reject during the design process for the Großweikersdorf community center?

CK : No drafts, but there were around 60 variants that we went through for the Großweikersdorf community center. You never know beforehand under which stone the solution is hiding. That’s why you have to turn over every single one.

PB: As is so often the case with us, it turned out to be the craziest variant. But it’s also the one that we think will move Großweikersdorf forward.

What characterizes the design process at smartvoll?

PB: Many different people work here, often with contradictory ideas. Nevertheless, we have developed processes and created a basis of trust that allows every opinion to be heard. Every voice in the office is heard. There is hardly anything more exciting for us than seeing how these different opinions slowly come together to form a holistically conceived architectural design.

CK: In addition, there are two souls in each of us.
The classical architectural one: it deals with material, light, space and aesthetics. The second deals with socially relevant topics and finds its inspiration outside of architecture. It’s not just us, but also everyone in our team. And all these topics then influence the design process. Finally, it is the freedom that defines this process at smartvoll. The freedom we give ourselves to question everything, to take nothing for granted and to reject many things.

What about the architectural soul of the Großweikersdorf community center? Materials, light, atmosphere …?

CK : Wood, glass and brick define this project. Inside, we have used wood
from the floor to the gable. When you enter the Großweikersdorf community center,
a large spatial continuum builds up in front of you, stretching all the way up to the large meeting room. The whole thing almost has the character of a cathedral. However, the wood creates a feel-good atmosphere and a great quality of stay. The ecological aspects of this material were also particularly important to us. Used in this quantity, it is equivalent to almost 160 tons of CO2. The glass makes it possible to experience the course of the day and the seasons and offers exciting views of the village – especially of the church. But it also has a symbolic character and stands for the desired transparency in democracy.

PB: The brick, on the other hand, plays a particularly important role on the outside. We don’t just want to build a building for the residents of Großweikersdorf, we want to make the entire site available to them. So we used a single material from the roof to the façade to the newly created alleyways. The color and feel of the tile merges with the paving, which also extends into the entrance area of the community center. This intuitively signals: all of this belongs together, all of this belongs to you – make it your own.

And the second soul? What themes have occupied and inspired you outside of architecture?

PB: Christian has already briefly mentioned the symbolism of glass: We didn’t want to conceive of democracy as something dusty and dingy, but rather to make the processes transparent. For example, the local council meets in the large meeting room. And now you can even see into “the heart of democratic decision-making” from the street. Decisions, laws and regulations are no longer made behind closed doors, but are at least architecturally visible to everyone. This is also demonstrated by the fact that we have placed the mayor of Großweikersdorf on the first floor. You no longer have to go upstairs to see the mayor. He is on the same level as everyone else and his door is always open.

CK : We were also concerned with the issue of open space. The rotation of the building has created a new passageway and outdoor spaces on both sides. If you imagine the community center as a cake, we have shifted the individual pieces of the cake towards each other. As a result, there are narrower and wider rooms here. A passageway, but also terraces for staff and visitors, planting beds and a small playground. We have not renovated or upgraded the walls of the existing buildings on either side. Now you can really walk along the history of Großweikersdorf.

Lower Austria has even more remarkable contemporary architecture. A new book points the way to the most exciting projects.