Digital Twins for Facility and Asset Management

Collaboration between Autodesk and the University of Florida.

Overview

This collaboration between Autodesk and the University of Florida explored the practical implementation of digital twins for facility and asset management. The project focused on Heavener Hall at the University of Florida, connecting facility-management data from Building Management Systems (BMS) and Building Automation Systems (BAS) with Autodesk Tandem to create a digital twin that brings building information and operational data together in a single environment.

The work addressed a common challenge in institutional facilities: building information, asset records, and operational data can exist across disconnected systems, making it difficult for facility teams to develop a complete picture of building performance and assets. By integrating information from UF's existing building systems and facility-management workflows, the project demonstrated how a digital twin can connect physical building assets with operational information to support their management, monitoring, and understanding throughout the building lifecycle.

The work focused on moving digital twins beyond visualization toward practical facility operations. The resulting digital twin has been adopted by UF Facility Management for ongoing operational use, providing a real-world example of how connected building data can support facility management and informed decision-making.

The project also contributed to the development of digital-twin workflows for institutional buildings and smart campus infrastructure, providing insights into how these approaches can be applied and scaled across facility portfolios.