Software
Twinview digital twin platform Twinview is a configurable browser-based digital twin platform designed to extend BIM into the property sector, connecting data from real time building
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hen it comes to digital twins, one might have assumed it would be one of the big software companies that would democratise the technology. After all, large global firms have all the resources, access to millions of customers, deep pockets and long arms. However, to date, the most accessible and obvious contender for a rounded digital twin ‘product’ comes from Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK. Space Group is one of the few architectural practices that truly understands that programmers can solve problems in construction, and if it can develop something which benefits its business, it will probably be useful to others too. www.AECmag.com
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Space Group’s Twinview is a cloudbased digital twin platform which works with data from most construction applications. While it started out life in the UK, since its launch in 2020 it has gone global, with resellers in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Portugal. The initial feature set was directly targeted at Facilities Management, which we explored in this 2020 article (aecmag.com/ digital-twin/twinview/). However, over the last 18 months it has expanded to also focus on carbon reduction and helping owners understand how buildings are actually used. Lots of commercial clients are now becoming really concerned by carbon output. Real estate investment trusts are
looking at environmental, societal and governance aspects. Shareholders want to see increases in efficiency and reductions in carbon before they invest. This means that the buying audience for digital twin technology is not so blinded by the hype but has very definite definable outcomes to monitor performance for deploying twin technology. Last year, Internet of Things (IoT) connections to Twinview were still experimental but now the company has a number of clients with its Building Management Systems (BMS) wired into Twinview services. We asked Space Group’s Adam Ward how definitive IoT devices were to saving money for clients. “We know, at a device level, at a room September / October 2021
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