---
_id: '14070'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Deploying digital twins across the broader building stock is constrained
    by a key bottleneck: high-quality 3D content from LiDAR or photogrammetry remains
    labor-intensive and difficult to scale. We introduce Generative Twins (GT), a
    workflow that shifts digital twin creation from explicit geometric reconstruction
    toward probabilistic 3D synthesis. The pipeline takes a\r\nsingle street-level
    façade photograph, corrects perspective distortion and removes occlusions, uses
    an instruction-conditioned multimodal image model to synthesise an isometric view
    of the building, and passes that view to an image-to-3D reconstruction model that
    leverages learned shape priors to produce a textured mesh without manual modelling.
    Three image to-3D platforms (Hitem3D, Hyper3D and Hunyuan3D 3.1) are compared
    on identical isometric inputs and assessed on architectural boundary clarity.
    We demonstrate GT through two applied cases: (i) reconstruction of ordinary residential
    streets in Detmold as stimuli for a virtual-reality study of multi sensory urban
    perception, and (ii) Green Editor, a design-exploration tool in which façade greenery
    is added or removed at the image layer before mesh generation.\r\nTogether these
    cases position Generative Twins as a scalable pathway for the digitization of
    ordinary building stock, with emphasis on controllability, editability, and iterative
    design workflows."
author:
- first_name: Mohamed Khaled
  full_name: Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled
  id: '81286'
  last_name: Ashmawy
- first_name: Buse
  full_name: Akay, Buse
  id: '88405'
  last_name: Akay
- first_name: Alvaro
  full_name: Balderrama, Alvaro
  id: '74171'
  last_name: Balderrama
  orcid: 0000-0002-4118-2838
citation:
  ama: 'Ashmawy MK, Akay B, Balderrama A. <i>Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based
    Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis</i>. Vol 1.
    eCAADe; 2026. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619">10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619</a>'
  apa: 'Ashmawy, M. K., Akay, B., &#38; Balderrama, A. (2026). Towards Generative
    Twins: An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis.
    In <i>eCAADe proceedings</i> (Vol. 1). eCAADe. <a href="https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619">https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Ashmawy MK, Akay B and Balderrama A</b> (2026) <i>Towards Generative Twins:
    An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis</i>.
    eCAADe.'
  chicago: 'Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled, Buse Akay, and Alvaro Balderrama. <i>Towards
    Generative Twins: An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic
    Synthesis</i>. <i>ECAADe Proceedings</i>. Vol. 1. eCAADe, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619">https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled, Buse Akay und Alvaro Balderrama. 2026. <i>Towards
    Generative Twins: An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic
    Synthesis</i>. <i>eCAADe proceedings</i>. Bd. 1. eCAADe. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619">10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Akay, Buse</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Balderrama,
    Alvaro</span>: <i>Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit
    3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis</i>. Bd. 1 : eCAADe, 2026'
  havard: 'M.K. Ashmawy, B. Akay, A. Balderrama, Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based
    Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis, eCAADe, 2026.'
  ieee: 'M. K. Ashmawy, B. Akay, and A. Balderrama, <i>Towards Generative Twins: An
    AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis</i>,
    vol. 1. eCAADe, 2026. doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619">10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619</a>.'
  mla: 'Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled, et al. “Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based Pipeline
    from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis.” <i>ECAADe Proceedings</i>,
    vol. 1, eCAADe, 2026, <a href="https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619">https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619</a>.'
  short: 'M.K. Ashmawy, B. Akay, A. Balderrama, Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based
    Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis, eCAADe, 2026.'
  ufg: '<b>Ashmawy, Mohamed Khaled/Akay, Buse/Balderrama, Alvaro</b>: Towards Generative
    Twins: An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis,
    Bd. 1, o. O. 2026.'
  van: 'Ashmawy MK, Akay B, Balderrama A. Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based Pipeline
    from Explicit 3D Reconstruction to Probabilistic Synthesis. Vol. 1, eCAADe proceedings.
    eCAADe; 2026.'
conference:
  end_date: 2026-09-11
  location: Lübeck
  name: 44. eCAADe-Konferenz
  start_date: 2026-09-07
date_created: 2026-09-30T10:14:15Z
date_updated: 2026-10-01T14:28:23Z
department:
- _id: DEP1634
doi: 10.52842/conf.ecaade.2026.1.619
intvolume: '         1'
keyword:
- Digital Twins
- Virtual Reality (VR
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Image-to-3D
- Generative Design.
language:
- iso: eng
publication: eCAADe proceedings
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2684-1843
publication_status: published
publisher: eCAADe
status: public
title: 'Towards Generative Twins: An AI Based Pipeline from Explicit 3D Reconstruction
  to Probabilistic Synthesis'
type: conference_editor_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 1
year: '2026'
...
---
_id: '12991'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Introduction: This study examines the perception of presence among students
    using virtual reality (VR) compared to iPads. The research aimed to provide deeper
    insights into students' immersive experiences and identify factors influencing
    perceived presence.\r\n\r\nMethod and results: Using a comparative approach, we
    show a significant difference between the two groups, with students using VR reporting
    a heightened sense of immersion. Additionally, participant's previous experience
    with immersive VR affect the presence significantly, while we report no detectable
    effects of age and gender.\r\n\r\nDiscussion: These findings contribute to the
    discussion on innovative teaching methods, supporting the development of more
    effective and inclusive virtual learning environments."
author:
- first_name: Christine
  full_name: Austermann, Christine
  id: '79034'
  last_name: Austermann
- first_name: Florin
  full_name: von Blanckenburg, Florin
  last_name: von Blanckenburg
- first_name: Korbinian
  full_name: von Blanckenburg, Korbinian
  id: '58841'
  last_name: von Blanckenburg
- first_name: Till
  full_name: Utesch, Till
  last_name: Utesch
citation:
  ama: 'Austermann C, von Blanckenburg F, von Blanckenburg K, Utesch T. Exploring
    the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from a classroom experiment.
    <i>Frontiers in Education</i>. 2025;10. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626">10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626</a>'
  apa: 'Austermann, C., von Blanckenburg, F., von Blanckenburg, K., &#38; Utesch,
    T. (2025). Exploring the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from
    a classroom experiment. <i>Frontiers in Education</i>, <i>10</i>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626">https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Austermann C <i>et al.</i></b> (2025) Exploring the Impact of Virtual
    Reality on Presence: Findings from a Classroom Experiment. <i>Frontiers in Education</i>
    <b>10</b>.'
  chicago: 'Austermann, Christine, Florin von Blanckenburg, Korbinian von Blanckenburg,
    and Till Utesch. “Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Presence: Findings
    from a Classroom Experiment.” <i>Frontiers in Education</i> 10 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626">https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Austermann, Christine, Florin von Blanckenburg, Korbinian von Blanckenburg
    und Till Utesch. 2025. Exploring the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings
    from a classroom experiment. <i>Frontiers in Education</i> 10. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626">10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Austermann, Christine</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">von Blanckenburg, Florin</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">von Blanckenburg, Korbinian</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Utesch,
    Till</span>: Exploring the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from
    a classroom experiment. In: <i>Frontiers in Education</i> Bd. 10. Lausanne, Frontiers
    Media (2025)'
  havard: 'C. Austermann, F. von Blanckenburg, K. von Blanckenburg, T. Utesch, Exploring
    the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from a classroom experiment,
    Frontiers in Education. 10 (2025).'
  ieee: 'C. Austermann, F. von Blanckenburg, K. von Blanckenburg, and T. Utesch, “Exploring
    the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from a classroom experiment,”
    <i>Frontiers in Education</i>, vol. 10, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626">10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626</a>.'
  mla: 'Austermann, Christine, et al. “Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on
    Presence: Findings from a Classroom Experiment.” <i>Frontiers in Education</i>,
    vol. 10, 2025, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626">https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626</a>.'
  short: C. Austermann, F. von Blanckenburg, K. von Blanckenburg, T. Utesch, Frontiers
    in Education 10 (2025).
  ufg: '<b>Austermann, Christine u. a.</b>: Exploring the impact of virtual reality
    on presence: findings from a classroom experiment, in: <i>Frontiers in Education</i>
    10 (2025).'
  van: 'Austermann C, von Blanckenburg F, von Blanckenburg K, Utesch T. Exploring
    the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from a classroom experiment.
    Frontiers in Education. 2025;10.'
date_created: 2025-06-17T07:18:39Z
date_updated: 2025-06-17T08:09:55Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
- _id: DEP1514
doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1560626
intvolume: '        10'
keyword:
- virtual reality (VR)
- presence perception
- immersion
- learning environment
- classroom experiment
language:
- iso: eng
place: Lausanne
publication: Frontiers in Education
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 2504-284X
publication_status: published
publisher: Frontiers Media
status: public
title: 'Exploring the impact of virtual reality on presence: findings from a classroom
  experiment'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 10
year: '2025'
...