KNOWLEDGE MODELING FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION PROCESS: FROM SURVEY TO HBIM IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract. This paper aims to develop a strategy for architectural knowledge modeling in order to actively support the built heritage conservation process by fostering collaboration among stakeholders and interoperability between datasets. The integration of two modeling systems, one ontology-based and one in BIM environment, seems to be the right way to meet this objective: the former is rather exhaustive to represent the semantic contents of conservation activities, especially non-geometrical data, the latter is absolutely suitable to represent the logic of the construction, above all geometrical-constructive aspects typical of any architectural organism. Thus, this study proposes a side-by-side approach to synchronize these different ways of representing reality by managing the complexity of cultural heritage on the one hand and of technology tools, such as information systems, on the other. The proposed methodology was tested on the city walls of San Ginesio (Macerata, Italy) and included different steps considering the in-use technologies (notably geomatics and information technologies) as key enablers to acquire, hierarchically order, model and enrich the knowledge of that heritage site. The result is a knowledge-led strategy moving from survey to HBIM implementation, as a way to enhance representation and management in architectural heritage processes.