Digital Ecosystem to Enable Circular Buildings – the Circular Twin Framework Proposal

Abstract

Implementing circular economy principles in the built environment significantly reduces raw material extraction and generated waste. A transition is essential, especially as it accounts for 40−60% of global raw material extraction and 33% of total waste in the European Union. This paper shows the methodological approach to generating a digital Building model to enable circular economy in the early design stage by coupling Generative Design methods, enabling automated variant generation of Digital building models, Building Information Modelling objects, and assessment algorithms to evaluate the environmental impact and circularity. By visualising the assessments of the generated variants of (so-called) Circular Twins in a Virtual Reality environment, including user interaction with a voice-controlled Virtual Agent, the digital Circular Twin ecosystem enables the early implementation of the goals of the circular economy and sustainability in Architecture, Engineering and Construction.