An occupant-centric approach on digital twins for building management

Digitalization trends in building management increasingly emphasize the creation of Digital Twins (DTs) for building management but often neglect how occupants interact with these technologies. This paper aims to explore the functionalities of building management systems based on occupant interactions with DTs. To achieve this, occupant preferences are investigated through a questionnaire survey conducted with 106 respondents from two case studies. The survey investigated participants’ interest in using DTs for various building management tasks, their familiarity with DTs and their demographic factors. Analysis results revealed that occupant’s interest in DTs is not significantly influenced by their prior knowledge or gender. Instead, providing access to DTs increased their interest in areas beyond their job roles, particularly in aspects related to comfort and environmental management. Younger participants showed a heightened interest in using DTs for environmental and energy management issues. The study also suggests that promoting occupant interaction with DTs can enhance productivity and satisfaction. This paper underscores the need for additional research to integrate smart technologies into building management with a focus on occupant involvement. It highlights the potential of DTs to improve real-time monitoring and support sustainability initiatives and thus, offers a more inclusive and effective alternative to traditional management tools.