Cognitive Modular Building to Enhance User Wellbeing: An Insight from Literature Review on Potential Benefits, Design Considerations and Opportunities

Abstract

The long-lasting building issues affecting users’ wellbeing have necessitated for the adoption of advanced technologies in the field of architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO). Despite the individual contributions of the advanced technologies such as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Digital Twins (DTs), Cognitive Computing (CC) and modular building (MB), which have been the subject of much research, greater benefits would be realized in enhancing user wellbeing if they are integrated. This paper identifies the individual benefits of CPS, DTs, CC, and MB, and then develops a conceptual framework showing their integrated benefits of producing cognitive MB to enhance user wellbeing at the facility management phase. Design considerations and opportunities in facility management were divulged for the successful application of cognitive MB. Cyber-attack was noted to be a potential threat to cognitive MB in the fourth industrial revolution; hence, overcoming it serves as a future research area. This study contributes to the knowledge on optimising MB to improve life and operations at the facility management phase leveraging advanced technologies.