Research Lab · School of Technology · Eastern Illinois University

BUILT ENVIRONMENT Intelligent Systems & AI Research Lab

The BUILT Lab pioneers AI-driven research at the intersection of construction, infrastructure, and intelligent technology — developing smarter, safer, and more human-centered built environments through rigorous science and real-world deployment.

// 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

Blockchain & Decentralized Systems

// About the Lab

Who We Are

The BUILT Lab (Built Environment Intelligent Systems Lab) is a research group at Eastern Illinois University dedicated to transforming how humans design, build, operate, and experience the built environment through artificial intelligence. We sit at the intersection of construction engineering, computer science, and human factors — producing work that is both theoretically rigorous and immediately deployable in real buildings, on construction sites, and in classrooms.

Our research spans XR (AR/VR) for construction training and inspection, AI-powered adaptive learning systems for construction engineering students, human–building interaction via LLMs and IoT sensing, real-time digital twins powered by edge AI, multimodal large language models for AEC document intelligence, LLM-guided human–robot collaboration on job sites, and blockchain-based decentralized autonomous systems for smart building management.

        XR + AR/VR
        Digital Twins
        Edge AI
        Multimodal LLMs
        Construction Education
        Human–Building Interaction
        Human–Robot Collaboration
        Blockchain / DAO
        BIM Intelligence
        Smart Buildings
      

// Research Funding

2026 — Redden Grant · Eastern Illinois University
Generative AI-Powered Human-Robot Collaboration Demonstration for Construction Technology Education · Award: $2,500

Featured Projects

LLM · Smart Building

AI Assistant for Smart Buildings Using Large Language Models

LLaMA 3-powered AI virtual assistant enabling occupants to control building facilities, adjust HVAC setpoints, and query real-time indoor environmental sensor data through text and voice input.

HBI + LLMIoT + EdgeOpen-source LLM

Edge AI · Smart Home

Small Language Model-Based Smart Home for Human–Building Interaction

Deploying Phi-3 Mini and Llama 3.2 on Raspberry Pi 5 for localized, cost-effective natural language interaction with smart home systems — enabling on-device AI decision-making for sustainable smart buildings.

Edge AIRaspberry PiSLM

LLM · Digital Twin

TwinGPT: LLM-Based AI Assistant for Digital Twin Query

AI-powered digital twin query system for facility managers integrating static BIM data with dynamic sensor, occupancy, and environmental inputs via an interactive Llama 3.2 chatbot interface.

Digital TwinBIMLlama 3.2

AI Agent · Autonomous

AI Agent for Autonomous Building Operation Using LLMs

LLM-based autonomous building operation framework combining IoT devices, smart facilities, and blockchain. Threshold-based and occupancy-based automation for HVAC and lighting optimization.

IoT + LLMBlockchainAutomation

VLM · Construction Safety

Vision Language Model AI Agent for Construction Site Safety Monitoring

VLM-based autonomous system monitoring construction site progress and safety via live CCTV feeds, generating emergency alerts and safety reports through an integrated LLM agent.

VLMSafetyLLaVA + LLaMA

XR · Multimodal AI

VLM + LLM + XR Extended Reality AI Assistant for Smart Buildings

Integrating Vision Language Models, LLMs, and Microsoft HoloLens 2 into an immersive XR environment where facility managers interact with BIM models and control smart building systems via voice commands.

XR + HoloLens 2VLM + LLMSmart City

RAG · Construction

RAG Chatbot for Construction Safety Using LLM

Retrieval-Augmented Generation chatbot using LLaMA 3 and a vector database providing construction personnel with instant, contextually accurate access to safety protocols and building codes.

RAGLLaMA 3Safety Knowledge

Blockchain · Digital Twin

Decentralized Digital Building Twin Using Blockchain Networks

Blockchain-based IoT framework leveraging Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum to automate and optimize building facilities operations through decentralized control, storage, and real-time digital twin visualization.

BlockchainHyperledgerDigital Twin

Research Areas

01

XR for Construction

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

02

AI for Construction Education

Adaptive learning, simulation-based training, RAG chatbots, and GenAI tools for AEC programs.

03

Human–Building Interaction

LLM and IoT-based systems enabling occupants to naturally interact with and control smart building environments.

04

Digital Twins

BIM-linked real-time digital twins with LLM query interfaces, anomaly detection, and facility management insights.

05

Edge AI & Sensing

On-device AI inference on edge hardware (Raspberry Pi) for smart homes, worker safety, and environmental monitoring.

06

Multimodal LLMs for AEC

Vision-language models for construction site safety monitoring, BIM querying, and document intelligence.

07

Human–Robot Collaboration

GenAI-powered human-robot collaboration demonstrations for construction technology education and job-site tasks.

08

Blockchain & DAO Systems

Decentralized autonomous organizations and blockchain-based frameworks for smart building operations and facilities governance.

All Projects

LLM · HBI

AI Assistant for Smart Buildings Using LLMs

LLaMA 3-powered voice/text assistant for occupant-controlled HVAC, lighting, and real-time indoor environmental data via IoT sensors.

Edge AI · SLM

Small Language Model Smart Home for HBI

Phi-3 Mini and Llama 3.2 deployed on Raspberry Pi 5 for localized, cost-effective AI-driven human–building interaction.

LLM · Digital Twin

TwinGPT: AI Assistant for Digital Twin Query

Llama 3.2 chatbot integrating static BIM data and dynamic sensor/occupancy data for facility manager decision support.

AI Agent · IoT

Autonomous Building Operation AI Agent

LLM + blockchain-based autonomous agent for threshold-based and occupancy-based HVAC and lighting management.

VLM · Safety

VLM AI Agent for Construction Site Safety Monitoring

LLaVA + LLaMA-based agent monitoring CCTV feeds for real-time construction safety and progress analysis with automated alerts.

XR · Multimodal

VLM + LLM + XR AI Assistant for Smart Buildings

HoloLens 2 XR environment with multimodal AI chatbot for immersive BIM interaction and voice-controlled smart building management.

LLM · Facilities

Data-Driven Smart Building Facilities Management

AI and digital twin-driven decision support for smart building FM using LLM-powered conversational data analysis and visualization.

RAG · Safety

RAG Chatbot for Construction Safety

LLaMA 3 + Llamaindex + vector database chatbot providing instant access to construction safety protocols and building codes.

GenAI · Security

GenAI Prototype for Smart Home Automation Security

SmartHomeSecure — LLaMA-powered prototype detecting YAML configuration defects and vulnerabilities in smart home automation systems.

Digital Twin

Digital Building Twin — Bishop-Favrao Hall

Real-time digital twin for environmental visualization (temperature, humidity, light, air quality) demonstrated at Virginia Tech's Bishop-Favrao Hall.

Blockchain · DT

Decentralized Digital Building Twin

Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum blockchain-based IoT framework for decentralized, automated smart building facilities operations.

Research Funding

// Active Funding

2026 — Redden Grant · Eastern Illinois University
Generative AI-Powered Human-Robot Collaboration Demonstration for Construction Technology Education · Award: $2,500

Refereed Journal Articles

2025

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations in Built Environments: Applications, Potentials and Limitations

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei

Information Systems and eBusiness Management Journal · DOI:10.1007/s10257-025-00699-1

DOI BibTeX

2024

Faculty Development Program to Enhance Teaching Quality in Construction

Saeed Rokooei, Alireza Shojaei, Reachsak Ly

International Journal of Construction Management · DOI:10.1080/15623599.2024.2304475

DOI BibTeX

2023

Autonomous Construction Safety Incentive Mechanism Using Blockchain-Enabled Tokens and Vision-Based Techniques

Hossein Naderi, Alireza Shojaei, Reachsak Ly

Automation in Construction · Vol. 153 · DOI:10.1016/j.autcon.2023.104959

DOI BibTeX

2023

Virtual Site Visits in Construction Management Education: A Practical Alternative to Physical Site Visits

Alireza Shojaei, Reachsak Ly, Saeed Rokooei, Amirsamman Mahdavian, Ahmed AlBayati

Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon) · DOI:10.36680/j.itcon.2023.036

DOI BibTeX

Under Review

2025

Autonomous Building Cyber-Physical Systems Using Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, Digital Twins, and Large Language Models

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Xinghua Gao, Philip Agee, Abiola Akanmu

Automation in Construction (Revision Submitted) · Preprint: arXiv:2410.19262

Under ReviewarXiv

2025

Public and Private Blockchain for Decentralized Digital Building Twins and Building Automation Systems

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei

Information Systems and eBusiness Management (Submitted)

Under Review

2025

Data-Driven and Distributed Governance of Building Facilities Management Using DAO, Digital Twin, and LLMs

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Abiola Akanmu, Xinghua Gao, Philip Agee

Frontiers of Engineering Management (Submitted)

Under Review

2025

DAO and Blockchain-Based Incentivization Framework for Community-Based Facilities Management

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Xinghua Gao, Philip Agee, Abiola Akanmu

Information Systems Frontiers (Submitted)

Under Review

2025

Industry Perspectives on the Role of Education Programs in Supporting Construction Diversity and Inclusion in U.S. Construction

MohammadHossein Heydari, Hossein Naderi, Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei

Innovative Higher Education (Submitted)

Under Review

Conference Proceedings

2025

Smart Building Operations and Virtual Assistants Using LLM

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Xinghua Gao

33rd ACM Symposium on Foundations of Software Engineering · Trondheim, Norway · DOI:10.1145/3696630.3728706

DOI BibTeX

2024

DT-DAO: Digital Twin and Blockchain-Based DAO Integration Framework for Smart Building Facility Management

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Hossein Naderi

Construction Research Congress 2024 · ASCE · Des Moines, Iowa · DOI:10.1061/9780784485262.081

DOI BibTeX

2024

From Data to Value: NFT-Powered Framework for Data Exchange of Digital Twins in the AEC Industry

Hossein Naderi, Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei

Construction Research Congress 2024 · ASCE · Des Moines, Iowa · DOI:10.1061/9780784485262.031

DOI BibTeX

2024

Assessment of Annoyance from Traffic Noise in a School and a Hospital

Hassan Azad, Alireza Shojaei, Reachsak Ly, Saleh Naseer, Laurie M. Heller

Inter-Noise 2024 · Nantes, France · DOI:10.3397/IN_2024_4264

DOI

2021

Continual-Learning-Based Framework for Structural Damage Recognition

Jiawei Zhang, Jiangpeng Shu, Reachsak Ly, Yiran Ji

10th International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure · Porto, Portugal

PDF

2020

Image-Based Structural Damage Recognition Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Jiawei Zhang, Reachsak Ly, Weijian Zhao, Yunyi Liu

fib Symposium 2020 — Concrete Structures for Resilient Society · Shanghai, China

PDF

Intellectual Property

2025

Decentralized Autonomous Building Cyber-Physical System (DAB-CPS)

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei

Virginia Tech IP Disclosure · Invention ID: INV2025-123 · Approved April 2025

Approved

2025

LLM-Based Autonomous Building Operations and Virtual Assistants for Smart Buildings

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei

Virginia Tech IP Disclosure · Invention ID: INV2025-121 · Approved April 2025

Approved

Research Reports & Posters

2025

Autonomous Building Operations and Virtual Assistants Using Generative AI

Reachsak Ly

Poster · 2025 Paul E. Torgersen Graduate Student Research Excellence Award · Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

PDF

2024

Investigation of Gender and Racial Diversity in U.S. Construction Higher Education

Reachsak Ly, Mohammad Hossein Heydari, Hossein Naderi, Josh Iorio, Alireza Shojaei

Research Report · 2024

PDF

Principal Investigator

RL

Reachsak Ly

Assistant Professor · School of Technology · Eastern Illinois University

Reachsak Ly is an Assistant Professor in the School of Technology at Eastern Illinois University. His research focuses on AI for the built environment, spanning LLM-based smart building systems, digital twins, edge AI, extended reality (XR), blockchain-based decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and GenAI-powered human–robot collaboration for construction technology education.

Collaborators & Research Partners

Alireza Shojaei

Associate Professor, Virginia Tech. Collaborator on blockchain, digital twin, DAO, and construction education research.

Virginia Tech

Abiola Akanmu

Collaborator on autonomous building cyber-physical systems and decentralized facilities management research.

Virginia Tech

Xinghua Gao

Collaborator on LLM-based smart building operations, digital twins, and DAO governance research.

Virginia Tech

Philip Agee

Collaborator on autonomous building cyber-physical systems and decentralized facilities management research.

Virginia Tech

Hossein Naderi

Collaborator on blockchain-enabled construction safety incentives and digital twin data exchange frameworks.

Virginia Tech

Saeed Rokooei

Collaborator on faculty development programs and virtual site visits in construction management education.

Mississippi State

Apr

2025

IP Disclosure

Two Virginia Tech IP Disclosures Approved

Two invention disclosures approved by Virginia Tech in April 2025 — DAB-CPS (INV2025-123) and LLM-Based Autonomous Building Operations (INV2025-121) — covering foundational systems developed through BUILT Lab research.

2026

Grant

Funding

Redden Grant Awarded — EIU

Awarded the 2026 Redden Grant ($2,500) at Eastern Illinois University for the project "Generative AI-Powered Human-Robot Collaboration Demonstration for Construction Technology Education."

2025

Conf

Conference

Paper Accepted at ACM FSE 2025 — Trondheim, Norway

Our paper "Smart Building Operations and Virtual Assistants Using LLM" has been accepted to the 33rd ACM Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (FSE 2025), June 23–27, Trondheim, Norway.

2025

Poster

Award

Poster at Torgersen Graduate Student Research Excellence Award — Virginia Tech

Presented "Autonomous Building Operations and Virtual Assistants Using Generative AI" as part of the prestigious 2025 Paul E. Torgersen Graduate Student Research Excellence Award at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

2025

Journal

Publication

Journal Article Published in IS&eBM — Decentralized Autonomous Organizations in Built Environments

Our paper on DAOs in the built environment — exploring applications, potentials, and limitations — was published in Information Systems and eBusiness Management Journal (2025).

2024

Conf

Conference

Two Papers Presented at Construction Research Congress 2024 — ASCE

BUILT Lab presented two papers at CRC 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa: the DT-DAO integration framework for smart building FM and the NFT-powered data exchange framework for AEC digital twins.

2023

Journal

Publication

Blockchain-Based Construction Safety Paper Published in Automation in Construction

Our paper on autonomous construction safety incentive mechanisms using blockchain-enabled tokens and vision-based techniques was published in Automation in Construction (Vol. 153, 2023).

Lab Information

📍

AddressSchool of Technology
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL 61920

✉️

Emailrly@eiu.edu

🔗

GitHubgithub.com/built-lab

🎓

Google Scholarscholar.google.com/[profile]

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