Despite the recognized advantages of the use of BIM in the field of architecture and engineering, the extension of this procedure to the architectural heritage is neither immediate nor critical. The uniqueness and irregularity of historical architecture, on the one hand, and the great quantity of information necessary for the knowledge of architectural heritage, on the other, require appropriate reflections. The aim of this paper is to define a general framework for the use of BIM procedures for architectural heritage. The proposed methodology consists of three different Level of Development (LoD), depending on the characteristics of the building and the objectives of the study: a simplified model with a low geometric accuracy and a minimum quantity of information (LoD 200); a model nearer to the reality but, however, with a high deviation between virtual and real model (LoD 300); a detailed BIM model that reproduce as much as possible the geometric irregularities of the building and is enriched by the maximum quantity of information available (LoD 400).

Digital Innovations in Architectural Heritage Conservation: Emerging Research and Opportunities: 9781522524342: Engineering IS&T Books

The aim of this paper is to present the use of 3D models and augmented reality (AR) to study and communicate architectural and urban values and, therefore, favor the development of dedicated forms of “smart heritage”. The study rises from a reflection on the concept of “heritage”, as defined in the international documents, intended as an evolving idea that puts together tangible and intangible aspects. Moreover, digital technologies favor “phygital” applications where the digital dimension support the traditional ones. In this way, AR allows the superimposition of multimedia information to heritage, respecting the historical matter of the artefacts, and supporting a “smart heritage” application. In particular, mobile AR, with real-time and ubiquitous visualizations, offers the opportunity to show past urban and architectural configurations to investigate and describe the transformations that have led to the current configuration, and consequently highlighting the present historical and architectural values of the buildings. Two case studies are presented: the square of St. Basilio Monastery, with its historical transformations, and the Basilica of Collemaggio, a pivotal building in the rites of “Perdonanza Celestiniana”.

On Visual Computing for Architectural Heritage: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8379-2.ch003: Aim of the chapter is to present a critical discourse on the use of visual computing for the study of historic architecture. From the analysis of the