How Can a Digital Passport Revive Prefabricated Buildings?

The massive concrete towers of former prefabricated blocks may look like relics of a distant past, but they hide a treasure of material and social value. A research team has created the Building Identity Passport (BIP), a true digital "passport" for each building. The BIP gathers data from multiple sources: BIM models, thermographic scans, resident questionnaires, and expert interviews. This produces a complete map that blends what is visible (cracks, insulation) with what is felt (comfort, health). Results show thermography confirming BIM simulations, proving that digital can talk to reality. Community surveys reveal the tension between energy savings and occupants' well‑being. With the BIP, municipalities can compare different rehabilitation strategies, choose more circular solutions, and communicate better with citizens. The method is scalable: technical layers stay the same, while social indicators adapt to each area. In the future, researchers aim to automate data processing and test the passport in other housing contexts, turning urban regeneration into a more transparent and sustainable process.

The Building Identity Passport (BIP) rests on a multi‑layer data architecture, integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with high‑resolution infrared thermography. Thermograms, captured under thermal equilibrium, identify thermal bridges, air infiltration, and insulation defects, providing quantitative inputs for calibrating BIM energy models. Simultaneously, resident questionnaires collect subjective metrics (thermal comfort, perceived indoor air quality, housing satisfaction) which are normalized using 5‑point Likert scales and fed into a Housing Well‑Being Index (IBH). Expert interviews supply qualitative data on typical construction pathologies of prefabricated blocks, such as panel delamination and steel reinforcement corrosion. All datasets are merged in a decision‑support framework based on hierarchical clustering algorithms, grouping buildings into intervention categories (energy efficiency, health improvement, heritage conservation). The outcome is a priority matrix balancing environmental indicators (avoided CO₂, energy consumption), economic factors (life‑cycle cost), and social metrics (well‑being index). Experimental validation showed a correlation of r=0.87 between BIM predictions and thermographic measurements, confirming model reliability. Moreover, statistical analysis of perception data revealed that a 10 % improvement in thermal insulation yields an average 6 % increase in perceived comfort scores, highlighting the need for a holistic approach in retrofitting prefabricated buildings. Thus, the BIP is not merely a diagnostic tool but a decision‑making platform that optimizes urban reuse in a circular manner, reducing material waste and enhancing residents' quality of life.