Campus as a Living Lab: Using the BEAM Framework and Digital Twin to Address Urban Microclimate Challenges
Authors:
Marcel Ignatius (1), Shanshan Tong (1), Ruohan Xu (1), Yijun Lu (1), Joie Lim (1), Yu Qian Ang (1), Lup Wai Chew (1), Filip Biljecki (2) and Nyuk Hien Wong (1)
(1) Department of Built Environment, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
(2) Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Abstract
The BEAM (Baseline–Evaluating–Action–Monitoring) initiative is a living-lab framework developed at a Singapore campus to address escalating urban heat island (UHI) challenges in the tropics. Over 40 weather stations, infrared cameras, and meteorological towers monitor microclimate variables; the resulting data are analyzed using machine learning and geospatial interpolation to generate climatic maps and identify heat-stress hotspots. These insights guide mitigation testbeds, including tree planting and cool paint, implemented with campus infrastructure stakeholders, supported by a digital-twin platform (BEAM-DT) for scenario simulation and decision-making. Field validation demonstrates statistically significant temperature reductions in treated zones (p < 0.001) and measurable improvements in outdoor thermal comfort. BEAM exemplifies how universities can serve as living laboratories for UHI mitigation, bridging research, operations, and education.
Keywords:
Urban heat island, microclimate monitoring, digital twin, living laboratory