Leveraging Digital Twins towards an Occupancy-centric built environment: A review

One of the main purposes of building design and development is to enhance the experiences and activities of occupants. Traditionally, the longitudinal collection of occupant data has presented challenges. In this context, the emerging paradigm of Digital Twins (DTs) offers a promising solution. This systematic review investigates recent advancements in DT applications within the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) sector, focused on the integration and utilization of real-time occupant data. Our findings categorize the types of data collected and the varying degrees of occupant involvement in these processes. The review also identifies the primary challenges encountered in data collection and integration, emphasizing the need for balancing ethical and privacy concerns. Additionally, the paper explores the potential of DTs in enriching occupant-centric applications, highlighting their role in optimizing building performance, enhancing comfort, and improving maintenance and safety. This review not only sheds light on the current state of occupant data in DT applications but also explores opportunities for leveraging occupant data to create more responsive and efficient built environments.