Alex Mbabu
School of Science, Engineering & Environment
Biography
I hold a PhD from the University of Salford, awarded in January 2025, for my thesis "Digital Twins in Lean Strategic Facility Management in the UK Healthcare Sector: A Proposed Framework to Enabling Lean Strategic Facility Management in Healthcare Operations in the UK". Employing a design science research approach across five stages, from literature review and conceptual modelling through to expert panel evaluation, the research produced a digital twin conceptual model, an implementation framework, and a maturity process for healthcare estates, contributing to the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) , digital twins, and Lean management in strategic facility management. This work has underpinned a sustained publication pipeline across several Emerald journals, including a published paper in the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation.
I served as President of the CIB Salford Student Chapter and contributed to the EPSRC-funded PEAs in Pods public engagement project, experiences that shaped my commitment to connecting research with practice and the wider student community.
This grounding in research has been complemented by a career spanning both industry and academia. Before moving into academia, I worked in construction development finance, valuation surveying, and facilities management consultancy, gaining a practical understanding of the built environment that continues to inform my approach. I now work as a Lecturer in Construction Project Management, bringing this combination of research and industry experience into my teaching, with a particular focus on project management alongside Modern Methods of Construction, Health and Safety in Construction, Innovation in Construction, and Site Practice.
Areas of Research
Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Digital twins
Lean management
Design science research (DSR) methodology
Material and building lifecycle sustainability
Strategic facility management
Pedagogy in the built environment
Building Information Modelling
Construction Management
Asset Management
Qualifications
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PhD in Built Environments
2021 - 2024 -
BIM and Digital Built Environments
2019 - 2020 -
Real Estate and Development
2013 - 2016