VR-enabled digital system in rural construction with sustainability evaluation

• Adaptive implementation of digital system to rural construction project. • Localized sustainability evaluation method considering both carbon emission and sequestration in villages. • Decision-making matrix designed for sustainable material selection process. Construction has been well-acknowledged as a growth driver of the economy, while it also contributes nearly 40 % of greenhouse gas emissions to the building environment globally. The practical challenge to the construction industry is obtaining sustainability with a balance of profit. In the context of the campaign for rural revitalisation, intelligent construction methods are a powerful tool to enhance sustainable development in villages. This paper introduces a digital system integrated with Virtual Reality(VR) and Building Information Modelling(BIM) technologies for rural renewal construction projects with sustainability evaluation. The system architecture consists of three layers: physical, digital, and service. Data capturing and processing are in the physical layer, digital transformation and representation are in the digital layer, and sustainability evaluation and optimisation are in the service layer. Algorithms include a localized sustainability evaluation method considering both carbon emission and sequestration in villages and a decision-making matrix designed for a sustainable material selection process. Based on an authentic project from Wuzhen, the 3D model simulation in the VR-BIM system will assist designers in conveying design concepts and bridging communication gaps during the design phase. Additionally, the interactive functionalities within the system furnish a collaborative platform, fostering a trial-and-error approach to enhance cost and time efficiencies. With sustained efforts, the system is an adaptive implementation of digital technologies, which is expected to enhance the human settlement factors in rural regions through advancements in spatial computing.