VILNIUS TECH students are developing a digital twin for the Sustainability Hub, focusing on the microclimate monitoring and analysis. This innovative tool will enable real – time assessments of thermal comfort and air quality. The initiative promotes practical student engagement in advanced technology development and contributes to creating a greener, more efficient, and responsible environment within the university.
Valdas Kondratovič, a first-year master’s student in the Building Information Modeling program at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, explains, “The idea to create a digital information model for the Sustainability Hub’s facilities arose from observing the increasingly widespread application of digital twin technology in various fields, particularly in construction and sustainable building management. Since VILNIUS TECH is an advanced university that continuously promotes the implementation and application of new technologies, we decided to focus the project on the Sustainability Hub, which previously did not have its own digital model.”
According to him, the model will integrate real-time microclimate data, which will assist in analyzing and optimizing indoor air quality, temperature, and humidity levels. The building will also ensure efficient management of energy resources, enhance the comfort of employees and visitors, and reduce negative impacts on the environment. All these factors will contribute to the sustainable regulation of the microclimate within the Sustainability Hub.
Valdas Kondratovič highlights, “While implementing this project, we encountered several challenges. One of them was the need to model an existing building in a virtual environment, which was constructed before BIM technologies were introduced in Lithuania. We only had 2D drawings from the existing documentation, so we utilized 3D modeling and reality capture technologies. The reality model of the Sustainability Hub was captured using a specialized ‘Dalux 360°’ camera mounted on a helmet and transferred into the Dalux ‘SiteWalk’ functional module, where we combined the 3D geometric model of the Sustainability Hub with the reality model. The data from the reality model helped refine and enhance the 3D model of the Sustainability Hub. Another challenge we will face during this project is integrating the BIM model with sensor data and ensuring uninterrupted real-time data transmission. We hope to resolve these issues through collaboration and thorough testing of various technological solutions and software.”
Project coordinator, Associate Professor Dr. Rasa Džiugaitė-Tumėnienė, emphasizes that students are enhancing their interdisciplinary collaboration skills while developing the twin model of the Sustainability Hub. The project integrates knowledge from building information modeling, building energy engineering, and information technology fields. It also strengthens practical skills in working with digital modeling platforms and data collection technologies, as well as their integration into a digital environment. Additionally, gaining experience with real microclimate data is of significant importance.
“The project is planned to be continued and expanded by incorporating additional scientific fields. One possible direction is to include more areas of the investigated building in the digital information model, such as the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems installed within it. Once the initial objectives set for this project are achieved, there would be potential to integrate advanced data analysis and artificial intelligence solutions that could forecast microclimate changes and provide recommendations for building management”, as noted by the associate professor.
The twin model of the Sustainability Hub will serve as an interactive tool for monitoring indoor microclimate, analyzing thermal comfort, and assessing air quality. This will enable building managers to make informed decisions regarding energy consumption reduction and improvements in air quality.
The project authors hope that this model, along with other buildings, will be successfully integrated into the existing virtual campus of Saulėtekis.
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