BIM-AR Interactive Data Accessibility in Cultural Heritage: a VPL Integrated Approach

Abstract. The integration of digital technologies aimed at the knowledge of the existing built heritage is now a well-established practice in the scientific field. The objective remains the optimization of methodologies intended to coordinate different needs, ranging from the integration of technical and documentary aspects to the enhancement of communication and dissemination of knowledge of heritage assets. While Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) represents the most widespread methodology for Facility Management (FM), enabling control over the entire life cycle of buildings, the challenge lies in integrating Extended Reality (XR) tools, which allow operators to consult, update, and interact immersively with digital models, expanding their potential both for technical management and for heritage valorization. In this direction, the contribution proposes a workflow that integrates Augmented Reality (AR) into Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) processes, enabling real-time updating of information through on-site observations. The case study concerns the complex of Santa Maria del Rifugio in Naples (Italy), characterized by historical stratifications from the 15th to the 20th century and by complex structural and conservation conditions. Starting from the digital survey, the information model was enriched with dimensional and analytical metadata, synchronized in AR through the structuring of a Visual Programming Language (VPL) algorithm that promotes the overlap between real and virtual through Image Targets, interaction with data stored in the BIM Common Data Environment (CDE), and their real-time updating. The result is an interactive system that enhances understanding, management, and valorization of cultural heritage, offering an engaging cognitive and immersive representation of architecture.