Digital twins — virtual replicas that simulate physical environments using real-time data — are changing the way we plan, build, and manage our cities. Recent DigiPen (Singapore) graduate Nigel Tan got a taste of that during his internship at JTC Corporation, where he had the chance to convert architectural blueprints into optimized 3D models for a digital twin of the Punggol Digital District.
Like many children, Nigel enjoyed drawing during his early years, but he didn’t pursue art seriously until his late 20s when he committed to developing his skills. He studied industrial design at Nanyang Polytechnic before enrolling in DigiPen (Singapore)’s BFA in Digital Art and Animation program, from which he graduated in April.
“When I saw the project JTC was working on, I found it really interesting and felt it would be a good fit for my skill set,” Nigel says, explaining how he discovered the internship opportunity on a job portal. He successfully got the internship and worked there from May to December 2024.
At JTC, Nigel worked as a BIM (building information modeling) optimization modeler with JTC’s Smart District Division (SDD), specifically on the website’s portal team. His role involved creating and preparing 3D assets for JTC’s digital twin — essentially a real-time, virtual replica of the physical Punggol Digital District. “Some digital twins are even connected to live data from sensors,” Nigel shares. “They can be used to simulate and analyze environments for smarter planning and decision making.”
Working primarily in Blender, Nigel’s day-to-day responsibilities included converting architectural buildings to scale and optimizing complex BIM files — some containing millions of polygons — for smooth performance across different devices. He also had to read blueprints to ensure digital models reflected the most current building specifications and worked on test cases to verify that website elements and interactive buttons performed as intended. The technical demands were substantial, as converting the models was a tedious, manual process. However, with guidance from his supervisors and teammates, he gradually developed strategies and workflows to streamline the optimization process, becoming much more efficient over time.
Nigel’s experience at JTC not only deepened his technical capabilities but also gave him a broader appreciation for large-scale infrastructure projects. “The team really made me feel welcome,” he says. “I learned so much about project planning, and I was constantly inspired by the range of work happening across different departments.”
Reflecting on his positive internship experience, Nigel credits his DigiPen education with preparing him for the professional world. “DigiPen taught me how to be adaptable,” he says. “Working on interdisciplinary game projects there also helped me collaborate better with programmers and designers. Understanding how to contribute my skill set toward a common goal made it easier to work effectively in a team.”