Academic Awards 2025 booklet

87 Linking the physical and digital built environment Improving building performance is essential for the comfort, health, productivity, and well-being of occupants. Yet, many buildings fall short, as the data necessary to monitor and improve building performance is highly heterogeneous. This research aims to explore how people experience their environments and how those experiences can be integrated with other building information to enhance building performance. To achieve this, I developed novel methods to integrate building information models, sensor data, and occupant feedback using Semantic Web Technologies. A key innovation is the creation of multiple ontologies enabling real-time integration of static and dynamic data into a Digital Twin. A custom-built smartwatch app enables occupants to “talk” to their buildings by providing feedback on their comfort. Data mining techniques were applied to predict personal comfort preferences. These insights were brought to life through LBDviz, an interactive 3D web viewer that helps building managers make informed, human-centered decisions. Validated across multiple real-world use cases, the research demonstrates that putting humans at the center of decision-making paves the way for a future where buildings truly support the well-being of the people who use them. All tools and methods have been open-sourced to support future research and innovation in occupant-centric buildings. Figure 1: Knowledge graph integrating building information, sensor data, and occupant feedback. Figure 2: LBDviz, a 3D web viewer that shows the integrated information.