DRF Lunchtime Clinic - Dr Mudan Wang and Dr Hamidreza Alavi

The DRF Lunchtime Clinic is delighted to present two of our research colleagues from the CIT Lab, Dr Mudan Wang and Dr Hamidreza Alavi who will be joining us to talk about the research they have undertaken;  Digital Twin for Building Operation and Maintenance: AEGIR Project.

Abstract

The University of Cambridge is leading the tasks of capturing and pre-processing on-site spatial and visual data, as well as generating operational-phase geometrical Digital Twin models for digitizing old buildings in the AEGIR project. This presentation will introduce the AEGIR project and our technical contributions, focusing on developing data-driven, machine-learning and AI methods to automatically reconstruct BIM models for the retrofitting analysis of outdated, energy-consuming buildings. We have been working closely with AEGIR partners to generate geometrical digital twin models from collected point cloud and image data, based on the BIM model requirements provided by different partners. Outcomes include AI-driven reconstruction of indoor rooms and façades, perform object detection for specific elements in MEP and HVAC systems, represent their relationships, and generate IFC models. The work has been demonstrated using datasets collected at AEGIR’s demonstration site buildings in Romania and Spain. The findings have practical implications and have been integrated into the overall pipeline of the AEGIR project. 

Find out more about AEGIR here: Home - AEGIR

Our Speakers

Dr Mudan Wang Dr Hamidreza Alavi Dr Mudan Wang is a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, where she works on the EU Horizon Europe project AEGIR and is the lead researcher for the M-TABS project funded by Innovate UK. She obtained her PhD in 2023 from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). She has published in leading journals, and her research focuses on integrating digital technologies to advance sustainable and automated construction, with interests in data-driven methods for digital twin construction, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI), prefabricated construction, and scan-to-BIM.  Dr Hamidreza Alavi is a Senior Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and former Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), he has contributed to curriculum development and teaching on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Digital Twin technologies. His research focuses on integrating Digital Twins, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and data-driven decision-support systems for infrastructure management and construction automation. Formerly an Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), he has led international projects, published widely in leading journals, and serves on the editorial board of Smart and Sustainable Built Environment.