Team #2 // BuildHub
Executive Summary
The construction sector is among the least digitized sector and has been slow to adopt technological solutions even though the long-term benefits are significant (McKinsey, 2016). There is a huge potential in using digitalisation as a means to achieve sustainability and address the UN SDGs. Our solution allows clients to make informed decisions on technological and sustainable investments, promotes knowledge sharing, encourages adoption of latest solutions and finally allows all stakeholders to play a part in the movement towards a more sustainable construction sector through digitalisation.
Problem
Although 93% of the construction industry agree that digitalisation will affect every process, only < 6% actually make full use of digital tools (Rolandberger). There are no incentives for knowledge sharing within the industry and solutions are often internalised; thus causing the data generated to become implicit knowledge. Typically large building projects take 20% longer to finish and are approximately 80% over budget (McKinsey, 2016). The lack of knowledge sharing and communication between stakeholders prevents the identification of ´best practices´, the latest solutions and the biggest impact areas in a building project.
Target user / Customer
Our solution caters to the entire construction sector e.g. 1. users who are looking to share their good and sustainable practices, such as technology companies, research initiatives/projects, universities and educational institutions; 2. users looking for digital and sustainable solutions for their use, such as contractors, engineering consultants and the government; 3. building owners looking to get updated about the latest sustainable and technological solutions, as well as find the companies providing these solutions.
The solution and how the concept is feasible
A digitalised platform (accessible as a website and an app), a one-stop hub for all the latest sustainable technologies and solutions, and sharing of knowledge and good practice. Future projects can be optimized by using knowledge from previous projects; risks can be lowered in regards to time and costs. The solutions provided in the hub are ‘ready-to-use’, ‘fact-based’ and cater to the SDGs. It contains the following unique features :
- Build Connect (connecting solution providers and solution seekers)
- Progress Tracker TM (tracking the progress at the end of every phase)
- Success Stories (sharing successful implantation stories and good practices with concrete facts)
- Idea Generator (‘chat room/forum’ to brainstorm ideas, etc.)
Four unique value propositions
1. Building a portfolio with ‘proof of positive financial impacts’ for clients
Using the Progress Tracker, the ‘connected’ solution providers and seekers can evaluate the implementation of the solution at the end of each phase as well as provide feedback to each other. This ensures transparency in communication and documentation of outcomes. The feedback can be used by both parties to improve their solutions and services. Only the positive effects on the time schedule, cost and risk optimisation, and good practices are published as Success Stories with consent from both parties. Companies can use these success stories with proof of positive financial impacts as references to build a compelling case to convince clients to support the adoption of more sustainable and digitalised solutions.
2. Sharing of knowledge and good practice
By sharing good practices and success stories, there is a huge potential to fill the knowledge gaps in the building industry and limit solutions from being internalised. Companies can learn from the work of other projects, without needing to start from the scratch, thus reducing delays and risks. Moreover, by bringing all the key players under the same roof, Build Hub hopes to encourage people to adopt sustainable and digitalised solutions, as well as educate clients about the present situation in the industry, which in turn would inspire their support and involvement. It would also reassure stakeholders and inspire them to do the same.
3. Providing opportunities for growth, recognition and branding
Companies of any size would benefit from using Build Hub since the platform would give them recognition and branding as the pioneers of the sustainable movement in the construction industry, and therefore they would have a competitive advantage over others. Since the platform is aimed at all stakeholders and clients, smaller companies can make themselves known and find more business, without having their influence reduced. This means that our platform would actually help bring more revenue into companies.
4. Creation of user-demand-driven solutions and backing of pilots
The Idea Generator promotes a ‘culture’ for brainstorming ideas, knowledge sharing and collaborating on solutions, which potentially could lead to startups. Build Hub provides the opportunity for project owners and contractors to co-invest in technology pilots in order to manage risks and share the rewards uniformly. By providing users with an overview of available solutions across different phases, gaps and areas lacking solutions can be easily identified. Companies can use this to their advantage to target their solution area.
Financials
Impact
Build Hub will house various sustainable solutions that cater to the SDGs in their address of the problems within the construction industry. It will promote and encourage the adoption of innovative and circular thinking and practices. Therefore, Build Hub will have an indirect contribution to mainly four of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production and 13 Climate Change.
Link for more information
Imagining constructions’s digital future by Rajat Agarwal, Shankar Chandrasekaran and Mukund Sridhar:
imagining-constructions-digital-future
Digitization of the construction industry by Kai-Stefan Schober:
Digitization-of-the-construction-industry
Strategi for digitalt byggeri by the danish transport construction and housing authority:
strategi-for-digitalt-byggeri
Team
The team consists of five students with different backgrounds, interests, and skills. Three of us is doing our masters in Architectural Engineering with a focus on different areas, such as indoor climate, BIM tools and sustainability, one is doing his bachelor in Architectural Engineering also with a focus on indoor climate and the fifth team member is doing his master in Industrial Engineering in Management.
Through our experiences as students, we’ve been taught to share and build upon each other’s knowledge as a standard. However, we have observed the opposite being true in the building sector, as well as an overall lack of use of digital tools to compensate for the ever-increasing complexity that troubles project management. That is why we chose to put our efforts on facing this challenge head on through promoting better practices and equip companies with shared experiences’
Group Members
Emilie Brisson Jørgensen (MSc) – emilie_ebj@live.dk
BSc in Architectural Engineering (2018)
Thesis about implementing Sustainability in the early design phase
MSc in Architectural Engineering (ongoing)
Ishak Zaaimia (BSc) – s164631@student.dtu.dk
BSc in Architectural Engineering (ongoing)
With a focus on indoor climate
Simone Bruhn (MSc) – s152998@student.dtu.dk
BSc in Architectural Engineering (2018)
Thesis about building modeling at different levels of information
MSc in Architectural Engineering (ongoing)
Sraboni Barua (MSc) – sraboni_barua@hotmail.com
BSc in Built Environment Studies (2015)
Thesis about artificial lighting design to display for museums
MSc in Architectural Engineering (ongoing)
Thesis investigating implementation of LCA in the early design phase using BIM tools and parametric modeling
Tejas Vedula (MSc) – tejas.vedula@gmail.com
BSc in Manufacturing & Operations Engineering (2018)
Thesis about constructing dense point clouds using monocular camera
MSc in Indutrial Engineering & Management(ongoing)
