Sloopwijzer does automatic material recognition in building facades using Artificial Intelligence (AI). By unleashing AI on photos of buildings, the system estimates the materials used in the façade and whether they provide more value in selective demolition. In time, Sloopwijzer could help draw up demolition inventories and motivate companies and individuals to demolish selectively.
The Sloopwijzer was developed by VITO in close cooperation with Immoterrae and stakeholders VCB, Tracimat, FLOOW2, BOPRO and the City of Leuven.
Specifically, this project is a proof of concept focusing on two different analyses. On the one hand, we used deep learning to detect windows in the facades of buildings in Leuven. On the other hand, some building typologies were created that provide information about the material composition of a building, based on visual aspects. We also tested this detection method on Leuven's building heritage.
Furthermore, we used new data sources (through web scrapping) to estimate the possible residual value of a certain building material, namely used windows.
Finally, we mapped out the possible innovation pathways that could result from this project, and which stakeholders in the building sector would benefit.
VITO
Partners Immoterrae
Sectors
During the project, we investigated possible follow-up paths, such as focusing on a particular material, the differences in quality or extending the project to a wider region. Through conversations with stakeholders in the construction industry, we also gauged their specific interest, needs and preferences in this trajectory. Based on this input, preparations for several follow-up projects were started, with the aim of further scaling up both AI detection for materials and residual value estimation.