Towards an EA-based approach for the development of Digital Twins for Sustainable Building Renovation Decision-Making by Real Estate Trustees

Abstract

In the Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Operations (AECO) sector, Digital Twins (DTs) serve as transformative tools to integrate sustainability into renovation decision-making by providing dynamic, data-driven representations of physical assets. They enable stakeholders to optimise processes, improve resource efficiency, and ensure compliance with evolving regulations. However, the implementation of DTs in this context remains challenged by fragmented data ecosystems, insufficient regulatory integration, and limited consideration of sustainability goals. Enterprise Architecture (EA) offers a structured approach to overcoming these challenges by aligning technical, organisational, and sustainability-related objectives. To advance this, we define two key research objectives: (1) assessing current EA approaches for integrating DTs, and (2) developing sustainability-oriented EA modelling concepts and design patterns. Our aim is to position DTs as comprehensive decision-support tools for sustainability, enabling stakeholders to achieve better-informed decisions while addressing regulatory compliance, resource efficiency, and life cycle impacts.