The use of HBIM models as a tool for dissemination and public use management of historical architecture: a review

Abstract

[EN] Disseminating detailed and accessible information about the built heritage is fundamental to help understand the value and meaning of that heritage to society. Recent research highlights the potential of the Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) system for managing and disseminating heritage. However, this area is still in an early stage of development. This study aims to present a state-of-the-art review on the use of HBIM for both disseminating the value of historic architecture and managing the public use of heritage assets. The research methodology consisted of extensive bibliographic computer database searches of the study topic through specialized search tools. To this end, significant keywords have been used, such as HBIM to culture dissemination, HBIM to ICT and HBIM to public use management, among others. A total of 85 papers were initially selected. After a preliminary reading, 37 studies have been selected for this review. Later, a quantitative and critical analysis identifying the main themes and perspectives of these academic papers has been carried out. The results indicate that technological solutions have been developed to convert HBIM into models suitable for portable devices, the purpose of which is to offer virtual tours (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications, as well as architectural heritage maintenance applications. There are also gaps in knowledge that have allowed us to establish a starting point for future research. As a conclusion, we can advance that it is essential to further the heritage interpretation of HBIM information so that the non-expert public can better understand architectural assets and their history. Also observable is the need for optimizing HBIM processes for heritage diffusion and public use management. Finally, we also noted it would be very useful to identify the most efficient way of collecting and processing data in order to achieve the best HBIM technical information for dissemination purposes.