How do industrial architects approach the use of digital twins in building envelope retrofitting in their designs?

As an AI language model, I don't have personal experiences or subjective approaches. However, I can provide you with some general information related to the use of digital twins in building envelope retrofitting by industrial architects.

Industrial architects use digital twin technology to get a comprehensive understanding of a building's existing state, including the building envelope. They create a virtual replica of the built environment using advanced sensors and 3D modelling technology. The digital twin enables them to simulate different design options for retrofitting the building envelope, determine the most effective solution, and optimize the design process.

Architects can use digital twins to analyze the building's entire lifespan, including energy usage, material and maintenance costs. They can identify potential energy-saving solutions for the building envelope which reduces operating costs, maintenance and also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the building. The digital twin approach can make retrofitting more feasible and less risky for building owners by providing a precise estimation of the expected costs, outcomes over the building's life span.

Digital twins can also help architects to visualize how building materials and systems would interact with each other, identify potential issues beforehand and develop viable solutions. Architects can use simulations to test out how different retrofit materials, such as insulation, coatings, glazing, and roofing, could change the building's energy efficiency performance and durability.

In short, industrial architects can use digital twins to visualize and simulate building envelope retrofitting designs, optimize design decisions and reduce the risk of retrofitting.

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