The built environment consumes 40% of all resources globally, generally following the take-make-waste linear economy.

By contrast, the circular economy in the built environment is a systems-based industrial framework designed to tackle global sustainability challenges, such as climate change, waste, and biodiversity loss. In a circular economy, products and materials are reused, repaired, recycled, or repurposed to create new products, contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy.

Mass timber structural systems are gaining popularity in U.S. construction of multi-unit residential buildings and office buildings for a number of reasons. Mass timber is well suited for prefabrication and reduced construction schedules, has low embodied carbon, can be exposed aesthetically, and can be built taller than traditional light-framed wood construction.

Digital twins – detailed digital replicas of physical buildings – are recognized for enhancing design, management, and operational processes.

This session will present the fundamentals of digital twin technology, its integration with building information modeling (BIM), and the creation of interactive, real-time building models. It will highlight the technology’s role in optimizing various stages of a building's lifecycle, from planning to operation.