Research Lab · Civil & Construction Engineering

BUILT ENVIRONMENT Intelligent Systems & AI Research Lab

The BUILT Lab advances AI-driven research for construction, infrastructure, and the built environment — spanning Extended Reality, Digital Twins, Edge AI, Multimodal LLMs, AI for Construction Education, Human–Building Interaction, and Human–Robot Collaboration on job sites.

// Core Research Themes
XR / Extended Reality for Construction
AI for Construction Education
Human–Building Interaction
Digital Twins & BIM Intelligence
Edge AI & On-Site Sensing
Multimodal LLMs for AEC
Human–Robot Collaboration with LLMs
// Lab Status
  Accepting PhD applicants — Fall 2025
  4 active funded projects
  Partnered with 6 industry collaborators
32
Publications
9
Researchers
7
Focus Areas
4
Active Projects
$1.8M
Funding

Featured Projects

Active · XR + LLM

Immersive Safety Training with XR & Generative AI

Combining AR/VR headsets with LLM-generated adaptive hazard scenarios for on-site safety training in dynamic construction environments.

PI: Dr. [Your Name]NSF funded3 researchers
Active · Digital Twin

Real-Time Edge AI Digital Twin for Infrastructure

Lightweight neural networks on IoT edge nodes synchronizing physical structure states with BIM-integrated living digital twin models.

PI: Dr. [Your Name]DOT funded4 researchers
Active · HRI + LLM

LLM-Enabled Human–Robot Collaboration on Job Sites

Natural-language task delegation between skilled tradespeople and semi-autonomous construction robots using multimodal large language models.

PI: Dr. [Your Name]Industry grant3 researchers
Active · AI Education

Adaptive AI Tutoring for Construction Engineering Curricula

Multimodal LLM tutors that adapt to individual learning trajectories across scheduling, estimating, and safety courses for AEC students.

PI: Dr. [Your Name]DoE funded2 researchers

Research Areas

01

XR for Construction

AR/VR for safety, training, remote inspection, and design review in AEC workflows.

02

AI for Construction Education

Adaptive learning systems, simulation-based training, and LLM tutors for engineering programs.

03

Human–Building Interaction

Sensing and modeling how people interact with built spaces to optimize adaptive building controls.

04

Digital Twins

BIM-linked real-time digital twins with AI-driven anomaly detection and lifecycle optimization.

05

Edge AI & Sensing

On-site AI inference on edge hardware for worker safety, material tracking, and progress detection.

06

Multimodal LLMs for AEC

Vision-language models for plan interpretation, spec Q&A, and project risk analysis.

07

Human–Robot Collaboration

LLM-grounded task planning for autonomous robots operating alongside construction workers.

Active Projects

Active · NSF #2401234

Immersive XR Safety Training with Adaptive LLM Scenarios

AR/VR environments powered by generative AI that dynamically adjust hazard complexity based on trainee performance, validated on live construction sites.

2023–2026$520K3 members
Active · DOT #RD-2023

Edge AI Digital Twin for Bridge Structural Health Monitoring

Lightweight transformer models on Raspberry Pi edge nodes detecting structural anomalies and feeding a live BIM-integrated digital twin.

2022–2025$650K4 members
Active · Industry

Multimodal LLM for Construction Site Human–Robot Task Delegation

GPT-4V-based system enabling natural language and gesture commands from workers to semi-autonomous bricklaying and material-handling robots.

2024–2025$310K3 members
Active · DoE

AI-Powered Adaptive Tutoring for Construction Engineering Education

Multimodal LLM-driven tutoring that personalizes course delivery across scheduling, estimating, and safety curricula for undergraduate AEC students.

2023–2025$280K2 members
Active · NSF #2312456

Human–Building Interaction Modeling with Computer Vision

Multi-camera CV and occupancy sensing to model how users adapt to spatial affordances, informing adaptive HVAC and lighting control.

2023–2026$420K3 members
Completed · 2023

AR-Assisted Concrete Inspection for Bridge Decks

HoloLens 2 overlay guiding inspectors through AASHTO protocols with real-time defect annotation and cloud-synced reporting.

2021–2023$190K2 members

Partners & Collaborators

Industry Partners

Turner Construction, Trimble, Autodesk Research, Skanska Innovation Lab, Hilti, and Procore Technologies.

Government Agencies

National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, DARPA IXO.

Academic Partners

Georgia Tech CIBER Lab, MIT Media Lab, ETH Zürich Digital Building Technologies, Delft University of Technology.

2024

2024

LLM-Grounded Task Planning for Human–Robot Collaboration in Unstructured Construction Sites

[Author A], [Author B], [Author C]
Automation in Construction · Vol. 168
2024

Multimodal Foundation Models for Construction Document Understanding and Risk Extraction

[Author A], [Author D]
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management · ASCE
2024

Real-Time Edge AI for Worker Proximity Hazard Detection on Active Construction Sites

[Author B], [Author E], [Author A]
Safety Science · Vol. 172 · Best Paper Award

2023

2023

Adaptive AR Training Environments for Construction Safety: A Randomized Controlled Trial

[Author A], [Author C], [Author F]
Advanced Engineering Informatics · Vol. 58
2023

BIM-Integrated Digital Twin with Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Structural Health Monitoring

[Author D], [Author E], [Author A]
Engineering Structures · Vol. 295
2023

Measuring Cognitive Load in Construction Education via Multimodal Sensing and Transformer Models

[Author F], [Author A]
Computers & Education · Vol. 199

2021–2022

2022

Occupant Behavior Modeling from Camera-Based Pose Estimation in Open-Plan Offices

[Author C], [Author A], [Author B]
Building and Environment · Vol. 225
2021

HoloLens-Assisted Concrete Bridge Deck Inspection: Field Validation and User Study

[Author A], [Author D]
Journal of Bridge Engineering · ASCE

Principal Investigator

[YI]
[Your Full Name], PhD
Lab Director · Associate Professor
[University], Dept. of Civil & Construction Engineering. Research spans AI for the built environment: XR, digital twins, edge AI, multimodal LLMs, human–building interaction, and LLM-enabled human–robot collaboration for construction.
XRDigital TwinLLMsEdge AIHRIConstruction AIAI Education

PhD Researchers

R1
[Researcher 1]
PhD Student · Year 3
XR-based safety training and adaptive scenario generation using LLMs in AR/VR construction environments.
XRSafetyLLM
R2
[Researcher 2]
PhD Student · Year 2
Edge AI deployment for structural health monitoring and real-time digital twin synchronization with BIM.
Edge AIDigital TwinBIM
R3
[Researcher 3]
PhD Student · Year 2
Human–robot collaboration on construction sites; LLM-based natural language task delegation and situational awareness.
HRIRoboticsNLP
R4
[Researcher 4]
PhD Student · Year 1
Multimodal AI tutoring systems for construction engineering education; cognitive load measurement via sensing.
AI EducationMultimodal
R5
[Researcher 5]
PhD Student · Year 1
Human–building interaction sensing via computer vision and occupancy-based adaptive building control systems.
Computer VisionHBIControls

Alumni

[Alumni Name 1]

PhD [Year]. Now [Position] at [Organization].

[Alumni Name 2]

PhD [Year]. Now [Position] at [Organization].

[Alumni Name 3]

MS [Year]. Now [Position] at [Organization].

15
Nov 2024
Award
Edge AI Paper Wins Best Paper at Safety Science
Our paper on real-time edge AI for construction site worker hazard detection received the Best Paper Award from Safety Science journal (Vol. 172).
03
Sep 2024
Grant
NSF Award for Human–Building Interaction Research
BUILT Lab received NSF award #2312456 ($420K) to study occupant behavior modeling using multi-camera computer vision for adaptive building control systems.
22
Jul 2024
Publication
LLM Construction Robotics Paper Published in Automation in Construction
Our paper on LLM task planning for human–robot collaboration on unstructured construction sites is now published in Automation in Construction.
10
May 2024
Talk
Invited Keynote at ASCE Construction Research Congress 2024
Lab director delivered an invited keynote on "Multimodal AI and the Future of Construction Site Intelligence" to 800+ attendees at CRC 2024, Des Moines.
01
Jan 2024
New Members
Two New PhD Students Join for Spring 2024
The BUILT Lab welcomes [Researcher 4] and [Researcher 5] as new PhD students, focusing on AI for construction education and human–building interaction.
18
Aug 2023
Grant
$310K Industry Grant for LLM-Enabled Construction Robotics
A new industry-funded collaborative research project to develop LLM-enabled human–robot teaming systems for real-world construction job sites.
Lab Information
📍
Address[Building], Room [XXX]
[University Name]
[City, State ZIP]
✉️
Emailbuiltlab@university.edu
🔗
GitHubgithub.com/built-lab
🐦
Twitter / X@built_lab
🎓
Google Scholarscholar.google.com/[profile]
🎯 PhD & Postdoc Openings

Recruiting PhD students for Fall 2025 in XR, edge AI, and multimodal LLMs for AEC. Send your CV, a 1-page research statement, and representative work to builtlab@university.edu.

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