Renovating an existing building need not be an arduous undertaking. At DigiFab, we are fundamentally rethinking the renovation process to ensure that large-scale prefabricated modules integrate seamlessly with existing structures from the outset. Our objective is ambitious: reducing on-site installation time to just 48 hours per 200m² unit.
Precision Mapping: Establishing the Geometric Foundation
Achieving a 48-hour installation window demands an uncompromising standard of accuracy. RINA-C leads our foundational data acquisition protocols, employing state-of-the-art laser and lidar scanning technology to capture the precise geometric characteristics of each building. This high-fidelity data is indispensable: it eliminates costly and time-consuming surprises — structural deviations, concealed irregularities, and dimensional inconsistencies — that routinely impede conventional renovation programmes. By conducting very accurate measurements prior to module fabrication, we ensure that on-site installation becomes a controlled assembly process rather than an unplanned remediation exercise.
The on-site data acquisition was carried out by Eleonora Massone/RINA -C, whose technical expertise ensured accurate and consistent results across all locations. Coordinating activities across different countries and institutions required careful alignment of schedules, methods, and responsibilities. A process that allowed the surveys to be completed efficiently and without disruption to the sites or their occupants.
From Greece to Spain: Cross-Border Measurement Campaigns
Maintaining methodological consistency across international boundaries is essential to the integrity of our approach. We have successfully completed measurement campaigns at our pilot sites in Thessaloniki, Greece (under responsibility of partner CERTH) and Burgos, Spain (under responsibility of University of Burgos). The careful alignment of technical protocols between partner institutions represents a critical, if often overlooked, factor in overall project efficiency.
These coordinated surveys allow us to validate our digital tools across diverse climatic conditions and building typologies, confirming that the DigiFab solution is applicable throughout the European context.
Data with Purpose: Constructing the Digital Twin
The high-density point clouds generated by our surveys serve a purpose far beyond documentation. They constitute the foundation for a rigorously accurate Digital Twin of each structure. Through this “digitalisation at source” methodology, physical fabric is transformed into a precise mathematical model.
Customised Design and Manufacturing
The data captured through laser scanning feeds directly into the design and manufacturing process, ensuring that prefabricated modules are produced to exact specifications. Demo owner and manufacturers use the scan data to customise the surface geometry of each module, including precise window apertures and facade cutouts, tailored to the unique conditions of each building. This level of precision eliminates the need for on-site cutting and adjustment, significantly reducing construction cost.
Looking Ahead
Precision surveying represents the foundational building surveying phase on which the DigiFab workflow starts its analysis. By systematically replacing uncertainty with verifiable, high-resolution data, laser scanning enables a reliable digital process chain from the very first step, making low-disruption, high-performance building renovation a scalable reality.
As the next step, we will illustrate the ordered process through which this digital chain is initiated, establishing the conditions required to demonstrate that 200m2 in two days renovations are not merely an aspiration, but an achievable and repeatable standard.
