Refurbishing buildings digitally

Campus Cattolica, Brescia

The Brescia Campus of Università Cattolica has been renewed through a new digitally managed Construction 4.0 model, fully aligned with sustainability principles. The university now has a new location in the former Mompiano seminary, offering students: 25 classrooms and 13 laboratories, 2 study rooms, a new large library, multiple faculty offices, gyms, a football field, a bar, and a 175-seat cafeteria.

Construction company Deldossi selected DVA for its proven digital know-how, gained through major past projects, entrusting it both with the migration of the executive project—originally developed using traditional methods—into a BIM-based model, and with the architectural, structural, and MEP disciplines. The goal was to develop a fully coordinated design for the construction phase. The use of digital models ensured a collaborative interaction process among all project stakeholders, allowing critical issues to be jointly resolved even before work began, and avoiding delays on site. The BIM approach also proved valuable in addressing issues that arose during material procurement and on-site operations.

Since this was a refurbishment project involving buildings originally constructed between the 1950s and 1960s, unexpected challenges emerged during demolition. Thanks to the 3D model, these were resolved in real time by updating the project as needed.
DVA also created a digital mock-up of a classroom, complete with finishes and furnishings, using immersive virtual reality and a 3D model. Through an Oculus headset, the client was able to view the room in every detail, physically navigate through the space, and examine all finishes. This enabled key functional and aesthetic decisions to be made without creating a physical prototype, thus saving time and costs on site. Thanks to augmented reality, the Rector and Administrative Director of Università Cattolica were also able to preview the completed spaces while construction was still ongoing.

In agreement with suppliers, DVA developed the construction design for the thermal substations—located in extremely limited spaces—streamlining the procurement and installation processes. At the end of the works, a navigable and interoperable “as-built” model was delivered to the client to support maintenance and future modifications.

What made this project stand out was the strong alignment of vision with the contractor. In a context where, as Deldossi believes, “digitalisation in construction is still underused despite a rapidly evolving environment,” the company has long embraced the path of digital innovation, positioning itself as a forward-thinking business focused on research into digital construction and emerging technologies. At the new Campus Cattolica—whose “digital construction site” was managed with the active collaboration of the University of Brescia—DVA’s involvement served as the ideal complement to the innovation introduced by the client, contributing to what can be considered one of Brescia’s most advanced digitalisation projects.

More + Less -