04 Jun RESA Member Spotlight – Anthony R. Milano, Principal of Crown Architecture
Anthony is a Principal at Crown Architecture, D.P.C. in New York City, which he co-founded alongside childhood friend Michael Santora.
Tell us about Crown Architecture.
Crown Architecture is the US operating arm of Scott Brownrigg, a global design leader ranked among the top 20 largest firms in the UK and the Global Top 100 architectural practices. Our NYC Studio seamlessly integrates zoning and code consulting, due diligence, architecture, interior design, advanced building technologies and master planning. Backed by the collective expertise of a 200+ member design team, we excel in navigating local building codes, zoning regulations, and municipal requirements. Our consulting, due diligence, and expediting division is a registered Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).
What is a digital twin and what are they used for? Why are they important moving forward?
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical building, created using technologies like LiDAR scanning and advanced 3D modeling software such as Revit.
Initially, it serves as a living, evolving record of the building’s layout and systems, ensuring that accurate documentation is always available. But its value extends far beyond simple record-keeping. Digital twins can be integrated with a range of IoT sensors to monitor conditions like temperature, moisture, or air quality in real time. This data is visualized in a navigable 3D environment, allowing users to explore the building much like Google Street View. Instead of receiving disconnected alerts—such as a text saying there’s smoke on the third floor—users can see the context of that alert within the virtual model. This shift transforms how buildings are managed and maintained. Digital twins are becoming essential because they centralize all building data into one unified system, paving the way for smart automation and remote monitoring. As buildings move toward more autonomous, “dark” operation models, digital twins will become the foundation for managing spaces without the need for constant on-site presence.
How can creating digital twins for your building or portfolio help you as a landlord or management company?
For landlords or property managers, investing in digital twins brings significant long-term benefits. They provide a permanent and up-to-date view of a building’s infrastructure, which streamlines everything from routine maintenance to major renovations. Instead of relying on outdated blueprints or fragmented documentation, landlords can instantly access accurate models of their buildings.
These models also integrate with sensor systems to detect problems like leaks or overheating in real time, reducing response time and avoiding costly damage. Rather than logging into multiple platforms to check HVAC, fire alarms, or security systems, building managers can monitor everything through a single interface.
The result is improved efficiency, reduced operational costs, and a future-ready platform for integrating automation tools and technologies. While the upfront cost and effort of creating a digital twin may seem high, it ultimately saves time and money by preventing problems before they escalate and by simplifying long-term building management.
A digital twin, a virtual replica of a physical building or system that mirrors real-time data and performance—helping owners monitor, simulate, and optimize everything from energy use to maintenance.
How does one go about creating a digital twin for a building? What is the process? How long does it take?
Creating a digital twin for a building starts with capturing the physical space using LiDAR scanning and high-resolution cameras. The process involves setting up tripods throughout the building or using body-worn LiDAR scanners, which allow a technician to walk through the space and gather data more quickly. LiDAR works by firing laser beams in every direction to create a dense “point cloud” of the building’s surfaces. This point cloud is essentially a 3D map of every visible element in the space, down to minute details.
Once the data is collected, it’s processed into a Revit model, a 3D digital representation of the building that can be updated over time. If furniture or temporary objects are in the space during scanning, those elements can be digitally removed during the cleanup process. Ideally, the space should be cleared beforehand, especially areas where fixed elements like walls or utilities need to be precisely recorded.
This model then becomes the foundation of the digital twin, which can later be integrated with sensors, automation systems, and other building technologies. The initial scan creates an accurate snapshot, and additional scans can be conducted after renovations or changes to keep the model current—essentially producing as-built drawings that reflect the real-world layout of everything from electrical wiring to HVAC systems.
How long does it take?
The time it takes to create a digital twin depends on the size and complexity of the building. For small to mid-sized buildings, the scanning process can typically be completed in a day or two, with processing and model creation taking another few days to a couple of weeks. Larger or more intricate structures may require more scanning sessions and a longer modeling period. While it’s an investment upfront, having a detailed, living model of the building dramatically reduces issues during renovation, construction and ongoing facility management.
Through Logic, warehouse managers can monitor their facilities and their entire operation remotely, track inventory, detect system failures, and respond to alerts, all within one seamless platform.
How can government agencies and municipalities take advantage of digital twins?
Government agencies and municipalities can benefit significantly from digital twins, especially when it comes to maintaining and managing large-scale infrastructure. These virtual models help preserve critical records that might otherwise be lost over time. For instance, when it comes time to repaint or repair something like the Manhattan Bridge, having a digital twin ensures that all previous work is accurately documented. This prevents costly rework and delays that come from starting over due to lost or incomplete records.
Digital twins also enable municipalities to monitor the condition of public infrastructure in real time using sensors. They can use drones and aerial footage to capture massive structures, feeding data into the model for ongoing updates. This approach saves cities millions of dollars by reducing guesswork, improving maintenance planning and minimizing disruption. For government-run buildings, digital twins can also serve as centralized platforms to oversee everything from HVAC systems to security and emergency responses, making them a powerful tool for modernizing public asset management.
Tell us about Crown’s latest endeavor, Logic—what it does and how it can save time and money for landlords.
Crown’s founder’s latest venture, Logic, takes these benefits even further by focusing on warehouse automation.
Logic is a robotic system that handles repetitive tasks more efficiently, safely and cheaply than humans. What makes Logic unique is its integration with digital twins. These twins not only track robot activity and provide performance data, but they also guide the robots through the building using the existing digital layout.
This means that the robots no longer need to map the entire space every time they operate—they only need to detect changes or obstacles, while the digital twin provides the static roadmap. This dramatically reduces the computing power required, lowers hardware costs, and improves reliability.
Through Logic, warehouse managers can monitor their facilities and their entire operation remotely, track inventory, detect system failures, and respond to alerts, all within one seamless platform. Over time, Logic’s capabilities are expected to expand beyond warehouses to residential and mixed-use buildings, making the system a scalable solution for the future of property management.
Logic’s innovative Interface Network