August 15, 2025
News

WT Wins National Innovation Award for Digital Twin Leadership

Katie Mitch

We’re proud to announce that WT has won the Innovation Award at the New Zealand Institute of Building Awards, recognising our Advisory team’s groundbreaking work on the Archives Building and its use of digital twin technology in New Zealand.

Why did we win?

When most people think of a building project, they picture architects’ drawings, cranes on site, and the buzz of construction. But here’s a surprising fact: the vast majority of a building’s life cycle is in its operation, long after the ribbon is cut. Despite this, operational needs are often given far too little consideration during design and construction. Short-term costs are prioritised, while whole-of-life value is overlooked.

Our Advisory team, led by Director Alex Hampshire with Michael Brown, Thomas Lock, and Michael Philipsen, set out to change that. For the new Archives Building in Wellington, they implemented a digital twin - the first of its scale and complexity in New Zealand.

A digital twin is, in simple terms, a living digital model of the building. It brings together asset data, construction documentation, real-time sensor feeds, and performance metrics into a single, intuitive platform. This means:

Facilities teams can see exactly what’s happening in the building from anywhere in the world.
Potential issues can be identified and addressed before they escalate.
Energy efficiency and environmental performance can be tracked in real time.
Resources, time, and costs are saved over the building’s lifetime.

How it was achieved

This wasn’t a “bolt-on” technology added at the end, the digital twin was integrated into the project from day one. Our team worked closely with the Department of Internal Affairs, the developer Taranaki Whānui Limited Partnership, the design team, and main contractor LT McGuinness to continually feed verified data into the model. Every asset, from fire safety systems to mechanical plant, was meticulously checked and integrated.

At completion, the facilities managers didn’t receive a stack of spreadsheets and manuals to interpret, they inherited a fully operational, user-friendly tool that will support them in running the building efficiently for decades to come.

Future impact

While the Archives Building is a landmark public facility, the real power of this work is in its potential to influence how all buildings are delivered - from schools and hospitals to housing and public infrastructure. By embedding operational thinking and digital tools at the outset, we can reduce waste, extend asset life, and create smarter, more sustainable buildings nationwide.

As Alex says, “The Archives Building’s digital twin is not a one-off project, it’s the start of a domino effect of efficiency and cost savings for buildings and assets across the country.”

What WT can offer

Our Advisory team specialises in:

Whole-of-life asset and facilities management
Sustainability integration and embodied carbon assessments
Lifecycle cost planning and operational strategy

We bridge the gap between design vision and operational reality, ensuring buildings aren’t just delivered, but that they perform at their best for decades to come.

This award is a testament to the value of taking the long view, using innovation to protect investment, and creating buildings that serve people and communities well into the future.

To see more of the exceptional work our Advisory team does, please click here.

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