The Digital Building Logbook: Transforming building data archiving for a sustainable future
Nowadays buildings produce increasing amounts of data and information, often scattered across various databases. This data sprawl creates challenges in making informed decisions. Digital Building Logbooks offer an effective solution for integrating and managing diverse data sources and providing stakeholders with comprehensive and user-friendly information. Legofit project aims to design, implement and validate an integrative approach to accomplish Energy Positive Homes, based on innovative solutions and tools (such as the DBL). In particular, the focus of the Legofit DBL is a BIM-compatible secure common repository for all relevant building data.
A Digital Building Logbook (DBL) is a common repository for all relevant building data, consolidating information from various sources into a trusted and comprehensive archive. It provides a complete overview of a building’s condition, supporting key aspects such as design, construction, maintenance, renovations, and energy performance. As a dynamic tool, the DBL enables different stakeholders to access and manage building information efficiently.
A Digital Building Logbook typically includes:
- Technical and performance data
- Building history and documentation
- Interfaces to facilitate the integration of other digital tools
- An user-friendly interface to access the information
DBL offers multiple benefits, improving transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in the built environment:
- Better Decision-Making: consolidated data helps stakeholders make informed choices about maintenance, upgrades and sustainability efforts.
- Interoperability: standardized data formats allows different stakeholders to easily share and understand information.
- Lifecycle Management: track and manage a building’s performance over time, enabling proactive maintenance and timely upgrades.
- Support for sustainable buildings: by providing detailed data on energy performance and emissions, the DBL helps stakeholders identify opportunities for improving sustainability and reducing the environmental impact.
- Centralized data archive: data is always available and accessible to authorized users anywhere in a single, centralised location.
- Trust and traceability of data: secure records ensure data integrity and traceability of modifications.
- Regulatory compliance: DBL supports adherence to national and EU regulations on energy efficiency, building safety and circular economy principles.
- Scalability: adaptable to different building typologies and evolving regulatory requirements
The Legofit Digital Building Logbook will be a secure, scalable and interoperable data governance framework, making building information more accessible.
Integrated with the Legofit Platform, the DBL will work in cooperation with other circularity tools, such as the Digital Deconstruction Platform and the Circularity Passports, aiming at optimizing building performance and sustainability in construction.
Advanced functionalities, including BIM models visualisation, will be explored during the development of the DBL in Legofit, to enhance usability and data integration.
R2M-IT is leading the technical and theoretical development of the DBL in Legofit: ensuring real-world applications contribute to the tool’s further evolution.
In conclusion, Digital Building Logbooks are transforming the way buildings are managed by making data more accessible, reliable, and actionable. As Europe moves toward greener, smarter cities, DBLs will play a key role in improving building efficiency, sustainability and long-term value in the built environment.