Digital Representations and Multidisciplinary Analysis: A Knowledge-Driven HBIM for Architectural Heritage Conservation

The knowledge modeling of historical architecture is fundamental for addressing the challenges in heritage management. By integrating aspects such as historical evolution, architectural features, mapping of previous restoration works and deterioration patterns, within a digital representation, the model serves as an essential foundation for scientifically based decision-making. The present study outlines the knowledge model developed for a currently inaccessible architecture, the Church of San Pietro in Valle (Fano, Italy), highlighting its potential to guide the planning of preventive conservation strategies and the re-opening of the building to the public. The methodology adopted followed an integrated approach combining digital survey techniques and multidisciplinary analysis. The Baroque church, affected by extended degradation such as rising damp, structural instability, and stucco detachment, was surveyed using laser scanning and aerial photogrammetry, which provided accurate geometric data for structural and mensiochronological analysis. The collected data were integrated through a scan-to-BIM process to develop an HBIM, which functions as a dynamic operational tool for recording multilayered, semantically structured information. The model was enriched with archival data, reconstructing the building’s historical and stratigraphic evolution, furthermore, materials and degradation phenomena were mapped and analyzed. Parametric modeling, automatic mesh modeling, and the use of point clouds were hybridized to represent different levels of analysis, manage the time-consuming modeling process and fully leverage the potential of HBIM as a pivotal knowledge model for heritage interpretation and conservation planning.