BIM and Digital Twin Integration for Low-Carbon and Sustainable Building Delivery: Frameworks, Applications, and Performance Assessment

Dear Colleagues,

Achieving climate targets and improving building environmental performance require solutions that extend beyond conventional design and construction practices toward integrated, data-driven, and life-cycle-oriented approaches. BIM (Building Information Modelling) and Digital Twin technologies have emerged as transformative tools capable of accelerating this transition. They were able to support sustainability assessment, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental impact evaluation, material optimization, energy modelling, and green building certification processes. Digital Twin technologies—along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)—have further expanded these capabilities by enabling real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, operational optimization, and adaptive building management throughout a building’s life cycle. However, challenges remain regarding interoperability, data integration, implementation frameworks, performance validation, and translating digital innovation into measurable sustainability outcomes. Moreover, their integration has not received much attention in the literature.

This Special Issue aims to consolidate emerging knowledge and interdisciplinary research addressing BIM and Digital Twin integration for sustainable building delivery. It seeks contributions advancing methodological frameworks, environmental performance assessment approaches, low-carbon construction strategies, life-cycle sustainability methods, and practical applications supporting digital transformation within the built environment.

The Special Issue particularly seeks contributions that:

• Develop BIM-enabled sustainability assessment frameworks;
• Integrate BIM and Digital Twin technologies for environmental performance optimization;
• Advance life-cycle sustainability assessment methodologies;
• Explore AI-assisted sustainability analytics and predictive modelling;
• Investigate carbon reduction strategies using digital technologies;
• Improve energy efficiency and building performance through digital solutions;
• Investigate interoperability between digital tools and sustainability assessment systems;
• Support climate-resilient and adaptive building delivery approaches;
• Examine low-carbon material selection and circular economy approaches.

The Special Issue seeks contributions spanning planning, design, construction, operation, retrofit, maintenance, and end-of-life building phases. This responds to growing research priorities associated with net-zero buildings, climate adaptation, building resilience, circular construction practices, and digital sustainability transitions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions

Prof. Dr. Walaa S.E. Ismaeel
Dr. Rania Moussa
Guest Editors

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