Our colleague, Dr. Erika A. Pärn, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge and head of Chetwoods' Works team, was recently invited to participate in a series of lectures on "Digital Twin Systems in the Built Environment" in Shenzhen, China. The event was part of the global conversation around the future of the built environment and how digital technology is transforming it.

Bridging Academia and Industry

Erika’s expertise lies at the intersection of digital construction, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and digital twin systems. She is leading RESTOR, a groundbreaking, three-year research initiative that explores generative design and AI-driven steel reuse in construction. The project is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, to which Chetwoods is contributing architectural industry insight within the wider context of our experience in retrofit and more sustainable reuse, as well as circular economy principles.

Erika’s innovative approach bridges academia and industry, evidenced by her contribution to a recently published book Twin Systems: Digital Twins of the Built Environment, co-authored with renowned academics Prof. Ioannis Brilakis, Prof. Rafael Sacks, Prof. Lucio Soibelman, and Prof. Mark Enzer. She is also pioneering the development of advanced digital twin interfaces, such as ChatTwin, an innovative tool that uses large language models to facilitate natural language interactions with digital twins, enabling professionals to engage with infrastructure models in a more intuitive and accessible way.

Transforming the Built Environment with Digital Twins

The lecture series in Shenzhen explored how digital twins are transforming the way we design, manage, and interact with the built environment. Erika’s presentation offered insights into the current applications of digital twins and their potential for shaping the sustainable cities of tomorrow.

She explained how these systems are not just about virtual simulations; they are powerful tools for optimising design, improving efficiency, and making construction processes more sustainable through data analytics and automation. These systems have become pivotal in enabling data-driven decision-making, offering new possibilities for urban development and infrastructure management.

As digital twin systems continue to evolve, the potential to revolutionise how we design, build, and manage our cities is vast. Chetwoods remains committed to being at the forefront of this transformation, and under Erika’s guidance, our in-house Works team of digital specialists is exploring the transformative potential of using digital twin systems in our own work to create and deliver more sustainable, data-driven projects. By leveraging AI, machine learning, and natural language processing, they are laying the groundwork for us to create a more intelligent and responsive built environment.

‍

Credits: Lecture series organisedby Shenzhen University, China State Construction Engineering CorporationShenzhen Decoration, and Yichuang International.

Dr. Pärn's PhD student Hank Lu’s work on the ChatTwin tool.