Dr Ricardo Codinhoto and Professor Paul Shepherd from the University of Bath recently visited Brazil as part of an international research collaboration exploring the use of Digital Twins, Artificial Intelligence and human-in-the-loop approaches to support the conservation and environmental performance of modernist heritage architecture.
The visit included research meetings, workshops and technical discussions with collaborators from the University of São Paulo (USP São Carlos), São Paulo State University (UNESP), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Federal Institute of São Paulo (IFSP), and Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM).
The collaboration focused on the development of AI-enabled Digital Twin frameworks for modernist buildings, combining expertise in architecture, engineering, sustainability, sensing technologies and computational design. The project aims to advance new approaches for monitoring, managing and improving the environmental performance of listed and historically significant buildings while maintaining human-centred decision-making in the conservation process.
This interdisciplinary project brings together researchers from architecture, heritage conservation, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, digital fabrication, computational design, facilities management and building performance analysis, highlighting the growing importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in addressing the future challenges of sustainable heritage management.
During their visit, Professor Márcio Minto Fabricio, Professor Paul Shepherd and Dr Ricardo Codinhoto visited Building One at the University of São Paulo, an important example of Brazilian modernist academic architecture. Designed during the expansion of the São Carlos engineering campus, the building is recognised for its elevated pilotis structure, climatic responsiveness and rational modernist language, making it a significant case study for the project’s research on Digital Twins, AI-assisted building management and the environmental performance of modernist heritage buildings.