MAKAN Architecture

Curtin University Digital Twin

Introduction

  • The Digital Twin is a rapidly emerging technology within the built environment.
  • This article focuses on a pioneering project at Curtin University.
  • We explore the capacity of this project to redefine established paradigms in the design, construction, and management of built environments.
  • The meticulous process undertaken in the creation of Curtin University's Digital Twin is detailed.
  • A central emphasis is placed on a user-centred design philosophy, ensuring these digital spaces effectively serve their intended occupants.

The Potential of Digital Twin Applications in the Built Environment

Digital Twin technology is rapidly emerging as a powerful tool for visualising, analysing, and managing the built environment. By creating a virtual representation of a physical asset or system, digital twins enable stakeholders to gain valuable insights, optimise performance, and make more informed decisions across various sectors. In architecture, digital twins offer the ability to simulate building performance, evaluate design options, and enhance collaboration throughout the design and construction process. They can be used to optimise energy efficiency, improve occupant comfort, and create more sustainable and resilient buildings. In the construction industry, digital twins can be used to monitor construction progress, detect clashes, and improve project coordination. They can also facilitate the adoption of new technologies such as modular construction and automation, leading to increased efficiency and reduced costs. Digital twins provide urban planners and infrastructure managers with a holistic view of the city, enabling them to analyse urban dynamics, simulate the impact of new developments, and optimise the performance of infrastructure systems. They can be used to improve traffic flow, manage resources more effectively, and enhance the resilience of cities to climate change and other challenges. Zaid Osama's work emphasizes the transformative potential of digital twins across these domains, highlighting their ability to foster more efficient, sustainable, and human-centric built environments.

Curtin University Digital Twin Development Process

leveraging advanced technologies to capture the university campus at both micro and macro scales. A key technology employed in this process was photogrammetry, which involves using photographs to create accurate 3D models. Photogrammetry was used to capture the overall layout and structure of the Curtin University campus, including buildings, roads, and green spaces. This involved capturing aerial photographs of the campus. Detailed photogrammetry was employed to capture the interior and exterior of individual buildings, including architectural features, structural elements, and building systems. This involved capturing a large number of photographs from various angles. By combining macro-scale and micro-scale data, it was possible to create a comprehensive and accurate digital representation of the Curtin University campus. This digital twin serves as a valuable platform for a wide range of applications, from facilities management to urban planning.

User-Centred Digital Twin

A key focus of Zaid Osama's work is the concept of the user-centred digital twin. This approach emphasises the importance of connecting the users of the built environment with the digital twin, to develop applications that enhance their experience and improve the functionality of buildings and spaces. The user-centred digital twin enables the development of applications related to spatial usage, understanding how people use and interact with spaces, and building functionality, optimising building systems and services to meet user needs. It also allows for spatial analytics, analysing spatial data to gain insights into user behaviour and improve design, and the management of facilities and buildings, developing tools and strategies for more efficient and user-responsive management of facilities. By placing the user at the centre of the digital twin design process.

Here are some applications related to architecture, construction, and urban and infrastructure planning that can be incorporated with user-centred digital twin applications:

  • Architecture
    • Data-Driven Design and Spatial Functionality Assessment:
      Digital twins can be used as platforms for data-driven design and spatial functionality assessment, allowing future users to virtually experience and provide feedback on proposed designs and how the design will function in the spatial environment. This can lead to more user-friendly and inclusive buildings. For example, users could use a digital twin to modify room layouts, lighting, and acoustics to suit their preferences and to assess how these modifications will affect the functionality of the space.
    • Personalized Environments:
      By integrating user data with digital twin models, architects can create personalized environments that respond to individual needs and preferences. For instance, a digital twin could be used to automatically adjust temperature, lighting, and air quality based on a user's profile and real-time feedback.
  • Construction and Facility Management
    • User-Centred Facility Management:
      Digital twins can be used to create user-centred facility management systems. These systems allow facility managers to understand and respond to the needs of building occupants in real-time. For example, users could use a digital twin interface to report maintenance issues, request services, and provide feedback on building performance.
    • Optimized Building Operations:
      By integrating user data with building systems, digital twins can optimise building operations to improve user comfort, reduce energy consumption, and enhance safety. For example, a digital twin could be used to predict space usage patterns and adjust HVAC settings accordingly.
  • Urban and Infrastructure Planning
    • Spatial Interaction and Space Syntax:
      Digital twins can be used to analyse and optimise spatial interaction patterns within urban environments, using techniques like space syntax analysis. This allows planners to understand how people move through and use urban spaces, and to design more efficient, accessible, and vibrant cities. For example, a digital twin could be used to simulate pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow, identify areas of high and low activity, and evaluate the impact of new developments on spatial connectivity.
    • Cognitive Planning and Decision-Making:
      Digital twins can be used to support cognitive planning and decision-making in urban development. By providing interactive simulations and visualisations of complex urban systems, digital twins can help stakeholders to better understand the potential consequences of different planning scenarios and make more informed choices. For example, a digital twin could be used to model the impact of a new transportation project on air quality, noise levels, and social equity.