In the modern built environment, digital twins have moved from futuristic theory to business-critical infrastructure. They are transforming how we design, operate, and experience buildings—helping organizations make smarter, more human-centric decisions. As Melissa Marsh (PLASTARC) noted, the goal is simple: "Help buildings and people get along better together."
A digital twin is a "living" representation of a building. It begins with a virtual model and is "turned on" with live and historical data from sensors, occupancy, and work orders.
Our Poll Results: When we asked where organizations stand today:
The value of a digital twin is often misunderstood. Sunny Lee (NJIT) clarified: “A digital twin isn't a prettier model... it's a decision infrastructure.” He argued that the true power lies in the shortened feedback loop, allowing owners to spot performance drifts early and intervene with less risk.
On the logic of User Experience: Melissa Marsh highlighted how digital twins should serve social needs: “It doesn’t make sense that you know where your desk is, but you don’t know where your colleagues are.” She emphasized that when design and operations are connected, "it's not just a technology; it's a customer service model."
On the necessity of Maintenance: Howard Brown (DPR Construction) shared a vital warning for any implementation: “The second it gets out of date, it’s no longer a useful product.” He stressed that a twin must be useful for people in their daily work and have a "clear champion within the organization" pushing for its accuracy.
Howard presented SFO as a "self-contained city" utilizing a digital twin ecosystem. By layering high-precision BIM models with dynamic GIS data, SFO can:
Despite the potential, adoption faces significant hurdles.
Our Poll Results: The Greatest Barriers to Adoption
Sunny Lee expanded on the capability gap, noting a generational shift in literacy: “The value does not come from the model or the sensor themselves. It comes from whether the organization can maintain a reliable information loop across the building’s life cycle.”
Digital twins are most successful when they move beyond simple visualization. Our attendees ranked the primary functions of digital twins today as:
As Melissa Marsh concluded the session: “When we have more data at each step, we are better able to do it better next time.” Digital twins are the means to a more adaptive, intelligent, and people-centered built environment.
PLASTARC operates at the intersection of social research and building technology to ensure your digital twin is grounded in real human needs. We support organizations through:
Digital twins are not the final destination; they are the means to creating a more adaptive, intelligent, and people-centered built environment.
