AI on the map

The public owns a huge portfolio of legacy assets. Tom Jennings, BRE’s research lead for the Innovate UK BuildAudIt project, outlines how AI is transforming the way these large asset portfolios are mapped

There is increasing recognition that AI should be used to boost worker capacity for strategic tasks and decisions, freeing up time from manual tasks like data collection which are otherwise prone to human error.

Facilities mapping can free up significant resources and help FMs make the right long-term management and renovation decisions. These effects can be transformative across asset portfolios which are too large to map with manual methods, particularly for local government and public institutions.

LEGACY BUILDINGS

We are surrounded by a historic built environment. As one of the first nations to enter the industrial revolution, the UK is immersed in this legacy. Public institutions are custodians of a variety of buildings, from town halls dating from as early as 1203, leisure centres serving as living documentation of post-war regeneration to electrical substations and other utilities reminding us of centuries of progress.

While few would argue against the importance of preserving this heritage, we must come to terms with the fact that future proofing these aging public assets is going to be a major challenge. The issue of age alone presents a range of considerations. At the same time, we are seeking to transition our built environment to net zero – with two thirds of councils having committed to meeting this target 20 years early of the 2050 national target. This is a positive move, but older buildings are likely to take the most work to achieve this. When you factor recent warnings from the Local Government Association that one in four councils are likely to apply for Exceptional Financial Support to balance their 2026/27 budgets, the challenge of bringing older buildings up to date might seem insurmountable.

Gathering enough data to know how much needs to be done and where action is needed most urgently is a significant task, before any action has been taken to make decisions or begin work. Authorities across the country must figure out how to efficiently map their assets, with many older buildings yet to be mapped using modern methods. This is where AI can transform the ways we work for the better.

AI SURVEY PLATFORM

BuildAudIt, an AI-enabled survey platform is being developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) as part of an Innovate UK-funded consortium. Having just passed the trial stage of development, we have found up to a 70 per cent average time saving on surveys compared to manual methods.

Savings are delivered from the platform’s ability to scan assets to render a building information model or digital twin by using AI to recognise elements, features and materials of spaces. Whether refurbishing or demolishing, AI surveying can speed up processes and ensure any materials which can be recycled are identified. This supports circular economy initiatives and drives additional income generation that can reduce overall project costs.

With the use of AI, building audits can also be completed with reduced levels of experience, further lowering costs. Updating how we map existing buildings to make it cheaper and easier to make creative decisions will help with the challenges currently faced by local authorities, as despite the introduction of multi-year settlements for local government – the public purse is tightening. Added to this, changes to competitive processes for project funding require councils to demonstrate new efficiencies.

At a time when public services and local government are under strain, AI presents a much-needed opportunity to deliver savings in facilities management and unlock better uses for our public assets. AI functions at its best when humans can do more of what they’re good at – making creative and strategic decisions – while shouldering historic processes that are time intensive and more prone to error.

AI gives us the opportunity to polish the family silver rather than sell it. Crucially, it means we have greater scope to maintain the character of the UK’s historic built environment and repurpose assets which might otherwise fall into disrepair.