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INSIGHTS
DIGITAL TWIN PIONEERS IMA claims to be one of the first UK practices to have developed a Digital Twin prototype © IMA Architects
conditioning in equal measure. The only difference is one room has an exterior door that is frequently opened throughout the day. Now consider the impact of that door and the high volume
of ‘traffic’ to the room. The result is simple – more energy is needed to maintain the core temperature, be that hot or cold. By using a Digital Twin, it would be possible to calculate the energy consumption of each room, and adapt the way the room is used to enhance efficiency; for example, changing the way it’s heated or ventilated, or encouraging a different entry point to minimise the loss of energy.
Over an extended period of time, across multiple locations and activities, cost savings – both monetary and environmental – would be significant.
As the Government continues to pursue plans to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy and with increasing energy costs, the Digital Twin will be an incredibly valuable tool as we battle towards net zero, leading the way to a better, greener future and cost savings for businesses. The concept is sound, and the technology exists to make the
Digital Twin a reality – but can it be something that works in the real world within everyday architectural practice?
IMA Digital Pods At IMA, we have known for several years the potential of the Digital Twin, and are focused on implementing the technology on our projects for clients. Over the past year, together with my colleague Dr Asem Al
Bunni, I have been working to prove the concept. We wanted to build a physical space and its virtual twin so that we could assess how technology can be used within real world architecture and on actual client projects. Within the grounds of our head office in Blaby, Leicestershire, we have created that space – the IMA Digital Pods. We have transformed two former shipping containers to create a two storey outbuilding featuring a staff coffee area and small gym. The pods feature the latest ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) technology, cloud platforms and 3D visualisation technologies which enable
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us to collect data in real time from a range of sensors installed throughout the buildings.
The IMA Digital Pods are equipped with: • Environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, air quality, fire system, rain sensor)
• Light monitoring sensors • Power monitoring sensors (individual devices/spotlights feedback)
• Motion detection sensors • GPS sensors (locating device relative to project location) • USB outlets monitoring sensors • Door closure monitoring sensors (doors, windows) • The ability to expand with further IOT sensors.
The data collected by the range of sensors is then analysed within a cloud platform and visualised via the digital model. The data can also be stored in the cloud for further analysis and used for further research and development. Commands can also be sent from the digital model to activate or deactivate devices in the Pods. The Digital Pods serve as a showcase for IMA to demonstrate to our clients how cutting edge technologies can be integrated within the built asset, where stakeholders can benefit from many features to assist with facilities management including monitoring, simulation using artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, along with system and spatial re-evaluation.
Impacting the future To the best of our knowledge IMA is one of the first architecture practices in the UK to have successfully developed and tested a Digital Twin prototype. But we don’t want to be the last. The successful use of BIM and The Digital Twin is the future of building design. Having more buildings with this level of intelligence will play a huge part in helping the UK meet its net zero ambitions and reduce costs for businesses, both during the construction phase and ongoing running costs.
Anthony Day is director at IMA Architects ADF DECEMBER 2022
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