Imagine walking through a building before it even exists. 

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is using the metaverse—including building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins—to do just that. With AR, VR, and other immersive technologies, construction projects can be refined in virtual worlds before entering the real world. 

Virtual construction projects can be used to:

• Quickly test design and engineering changes

• Increase stakeholder engagement

• Identify issues early in the process

• Run simulations on crowd flow, earthquakes, fires, and more

• Build excitement around a project

• Make collaboration easier, cheaper, and faster

During the planning and design phase, teams can use virtual technology to build simulated versions of projects and test scenarios for safety, viability, cost, and more. Teams using the metaverse at this stage are identifying issues faster and finding solutions early in the process. 

Virtual representations of buildings in the design process allow experimentation without cost or risk. Teams can test changes quickly and with input from many variables. Hundreds of scenarios can be tested in a matter of minutes—something impossible with paper blueprints and even static 3D renderings. 

These virtual representations also go far in communicating with project stakeholders. People can actually see and stand in the building before it’s finalized and built. It’s easier to give feedback and approval on design, budgets, and changes when you can stand inside a 3D room and look around.

The entire process can move more quickly as stakeholders can step inside the building from anywhere in the world. Fewer site visits saves project costs and keeps the timeline moving. It’s also more likely that issues will be identified early, and AEC firms using the metaverse have reported fewer changes later in projects thanks to early identification. 

Digital twins of buildings are helpful in the design, engineering, and construction process, but they also extend beyond that. With virtual models of buildings, ongoing management and maintenance becomes data-driven, streamlined, and more predictable. This improves safety, reduces costs, and allows for planning ahead. 

The industrial metaverse and the number of virtual buildings in it is expected to grow quickly over the next decade. 

If you build it virtually, the avatars will come.