BIM-SPEED · Project

Digital Tools That Cut Building Renovation Time by 30% and Energy Use by 60%

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Renovating old buildings to save energy is painfully slow — contractors juggle paper plans, outdated blueprints, and guesswork about what's inside the walls. BIM-SPEED built a cloud platform and a toolkit that creates a detailed digital twin of the building before anyone picks up a hammer. Think of it like Google Maps for your building's guts: pipes, insulation, wiring — all visible on screen, so renovation teams can plan faster and avoid surprises on site. They tested it on 12 real buildings across Europe and even added VR walkthroughs so owners can see the finished result before work begins.

By the numbers

60%

Energy savings target in deep renovation

30%

Reduction in deep renovation project timelines

Real demonstration buildings across Europe

200+

BIM-based renovation projects targeted for market replication

Consortium partners

Countries represented in the consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Renovating existing residential buildings for energy efficiency is one of the biggest challenges in meeting EU climate targets, but the process is notoriously slow and expensive. Contractors waste weeks on manual site surveys, deal with incompatible software tools, and face constant rework because the actual building rarely matches outdated plans. This means renovation projects routinely run over time and budget, discouraging property owners from investing in deep energy upgrades.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a free BIM cloud platform with interoperable digital tools covering the full renovation workflow — from 3D scanning and digital twin creation to energy simulation, HVAC design, and maintenance planning. They also built VR/AR demonstrators for visualizing deep renovation scenarios on-site, and developed Plug-and-Play solutions for faster installation of building and HVAC products. All of this was validated across 12 real demonstration buildings in 9 countries.

Audience

Who needs this

Renovation contractors looking to cut project timelines and reduce rework on residential retrofitsHousing associations and social housing providers planning large-scale energy upgrades across aging building stockArchitecture and MEP engineering firms that need interoperable BIM tools for renovation designMunicipal governments and public building managers with energy performance mandatesHVAC manufacturers and installers seeking faster integration of their products into renovation projects

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Building renovation and retrofitting

SME

Target: Renovation contractors and general contractors specializing in residential retrofits

If you are a renovation contractor losing weeks to site surveys and rework on residential retrofits — this project developed a BIM cloud platform with interoperable tools that reduced deep renovation project timelines by at least 30%. The platform was tested across 12 real demonstration buildings in Europe. Plug-and-Play installation methods for HVAC and building products mean fewer surprises and faster on-site execution.

Property management and social housing

enterprise

Target: Housing associations and property management companies with large residential portfolios

If you are a housing association planning energy upgrades across dozens of aging buildings — this project delivered standardized BIM procedures for as-built data acquisition, modelling, and simulation that target at least 60% energy savings per building. The 12 demonstration cases proved the approach works across different building types and climates in 9 European countries. VR/AR demonstrators let tenants and decision-makers preview renovation outcomes before committing budgets.

Architecture and engineering consulting

any

Target: Architecture and MEP engineering firms working on energy-efficient renovation design

If you are an architecture or engineering firm struggling with incompatible software tools when designing building renovations — this project built interoperable BIM tools on an open cloud platform aligned with buildingSMART standards. The platform was launched free-of-charge and tested in 12 real renovation projects. It covers the full workflow from 3D scanning and energy simulation to HVAC design and maintenance planning.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the BIM cloud platform cost to use?

The project objective states the BIM cloud platform was launched and made available free-of-charge for all users from the start of the project. Based on available project data, there is no indication of a subscription model, though commercial terms may have changed after the project ended in October 2022.

Can this work at scale across a large building portfolio?

The solution was demonstrated in 12 real renovation cases across 9 European countries, covering different building types and climates. The project also organized an EU-wide BIM Competition targeting market replication in more than 200 BIM-based renovation projects, suggesting the platform is designed for scale.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

This was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) funded under Horizon 2020 with 27 consortium partners. The platform uses open BIM standards via buildingSMART. Specific IP and licensing terms for individual tools would need to be discussed with the consortium partners or Technische Universität Berlin as coordinator.

Does this comply with current EU energy renovation regulations?

The project was designed to achieve at least 60% energy savings in deep renovation, aligning with EU energy performance targets. It also worked with the EU BIM Task Group to harmonize best practices. Specific compliance with post-2022 regulations like the revised EPBD would need to be verified with the project team.

How long does it take to implement on a real project?

The core promise is a 30% reduction in deep renovation project timelines compared to traditional methods. The standardized procedures cover the full chain from as-built data acquisition through modelling, simulation, implementation, and maintenance. The 4-year project validated these time savings across 12 demonstration cases.

Does it integrate with existing BIM software we already use?

Interoperability was a central design goal. The platform accommodates a full range of BIM tools for renovation and is built on buildingSMART standards. The consortium included both software vendors and end-users to ensure compatibility with widely used BIM tools in the market.

Is there ongoing support or training available?

The consortium of 27 partners includes European umbrella organisations for architects, HVAC engineers, and construction firms. Based on available project data, the BIM Competition and training activities were designed to build capacity. Post-project support availability should be confirmed directly with the coordinator at TU Berlin.

Consortium

Who built it

The BIM-SPEED consortium is unusually large with 27 partners across 9 countries, which signals broad market coverage but also complexity. What matters for a business buyer: 11 industry partners (41% of the consortium) and 10 SMEs were directly involved, meaning this was not a purely academic exercise. The mix includes software developers, construction companies, architects, and HVAC specialists — the exact players you would find on a real renovation project. Partners span Western and Eastern Europe (Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria), which means the tools were tested across different building codes, climates, and construction traditions. The coordinator is TU Berlin, a strong technical university with deep ties to the German construction industry.

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLINCoordinator · DE
EUROPEAN BUILDERS CONFEDERATIONparticipant · BE
CONSEIL DES ARCHITECTES D'EUROPEparticipant · BE
VAN BERKEL EN BOS U.N. STUDIO BVparticipant · NL
FEDERATION DE L'INDUSTRIE EUROPEENNE DE LA CONSTRUCTIONparticipant · BE
PRZEDSIEBIORSTWO ROBOT ELEWACYJNYCHFASADA SP ZOOparticipant · PL
Vivienda y Suelo de Euskadi, S.A.participant · ES
KREAN S.COOP.participant · ES
RINA CONSULTING SPAthirdparty · IT
UNIVERSITA TELEMATICA E-CAMPUSthirdparty · IT
FEDERATIE VAN VERENIGINGEN VOOR VERWARMING EN LUCHTBEHANDELING IN EUROPA REHVAparticipant · BE
DEMO CONSULTANTS BVparticipant · NL
SVILUPPO TECNOLOGIE E RICERCA PER L'EDILIZIA SISMICAMENTE SICURA ED ECOSOSTENIBILE SCARLparticipant · IT
CENTRE SCIENTIFIQUE ET TECHNIQUE DU BATIMENTparticipant · FR
MOSTOSTAL WARSZAWA SAparticipant · PL
HOCHTIEF VICON GMBHparticipant · DE
FUNDACION CARTIFparticipant · ES
ERASMUS UNIVERSITEIT ROTTERDAMparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHEparticipant · IT
CYPE SOFT SLparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Technische Universität Berlin (Germany) — contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction to the project team

Order a report on this consortium See TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how BIM-SPEED tools could speed up your renovation projects? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your specific needs — whether that is the cloud platform, VR planning tools, or Plug-and-Play HVAC integration.

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