Augmented reality in architectural heritage preservation: a comprehensive digitization approach validated in Salvador’s Pelourinho district – Brazil

The article discusses the current problems of preservation of architectural heritage. The current situation regarding the preservation of historical and cultural heritage in Ukraine is very difficult. The crisis of the country's economy against the background of military operations led to the accumulation of problems in this field of activity. The analysis of publications revealed a wide range of problems that must be overcome. Definition of strategies, development of programs of such activities can only take place under the conditions of proper conduct of pre-design studies, which cover all aspects of security activities. This is the development of existing legislation on the preservation of architectural heritage, the regulatory framework, issues of agreement between the parties, participants in such activities, issues of perspective plans for the development of cities in the context of the preservation of historical architectural heritage, the formation of ecological principles that can be implemented during reconstruction and restoration, the identification of their components to ensure a set of design parameters based on modern international standards and the legislation of Ukraine. The solution to the problems of transport communications in the historical areas of large cities also requires serious pre-project studies. Project studies related to international law enforcement activities require special attention, because Ukraine is a participant in UNESCO programs, and a lot has already been done in this direction. There is an understanding that preliminary research projects cannot be suspended, it should be a priority. They need funding, even in difficult times for the country. Qualitative, well-grounded pre-project studies with conclusions that lead to further actions and decisions can be the key to the development of successful strategies and interactions in the matter of architectural heritage preservation.

Purpose The architectural preservation embeds all the activities dealing with the sustainability of the built heritage. The representation and diffusion of heritage take a core place in that process. This study aims at the diffusion of the Aqueduct Kuru Kopru towards a broad public audience, establishment of the awareness that Augmented Reality (AR) methods can be used for the evaluation and presentation of the semi-collapsed structures and serving as a model for the representation and diffusion of virtual reconstructions of Architectural Heritage (AH). Design/Methodology/Approach This work refers to restoration and heritage visualization charters, combines Computer-Aided Design (CAD), photogrammetry survey method, and advanced texturing techniques to acquire and model virtual reconstructions of the Aqueduct Kuru Kopru from the Roman-Byzantine period to the year 2017. The paper also describes the frameworks for the implementation of a non-immersive and an immersive AR application to visualize modelled reconstructions. The method used consists of three main stages: modelling of the virtual reconstructions, texturing of models, and development of AR applications. Findings This study establishes AR and cultural heritage digitization techniques as efficient tools to represent and diffuse the Aqueduct Kuru Kopru. It engages a broad public audience in better comprehension and assessment of the aqueduct. Research Limitations/Implications The fact that the research is based on a single case study is a limitation for its generalisation. However, the case examined provides a basis for future work that may validate its findings in different contexts. Originality/Value The paper proposes the rediscovering of long-abandoned aqueduct Kuru Kopru by learning its spatio-temporal evolution through AR. The developed methodology can be easily implemented and puts forward the use of low-cost materials.

In this study, through case studies of campus architectural heritage, the preservation of architectural heritage on campuses is explored. In addition, the effects of architectural heritage preservation on the identity of campuses are investigated, and the corresponding effects on present-day value and spatial experience are analysed. The case studies involve early campuses planned in East Asia by Henry Murphy, and they feature American designs and building styles.In this study, first, the characteristics of the campuses planned by Henry Murphy are analysed. Next, the characteristics of the preserved architectural heritage at Chosen Christian College are analysed. Finally, with a focus on the preservation of architectural heritage at Shanghai College, the value of architectural heritage and the spatial experience associated with campus development are analysed.Chosen Christian College focused on maintaining the authenticity of buildings, and Shanghai College attempted to consolidate the identity of the campus through maximizing the spatial experience of the architectural heritage group and preserving architectural heritage. Thus, Shanghai College was more influenced by Henry Murphy’s master plan in the development and growth of the campus, and tried to carry on the design concept of the architect and the image of the campus. Conversely, Chosen Christian College was able to retain its original design over nearly a century with the use of all-stone buildings, as Henry Murphy proposed, but no significant trace of the early general plan remains.

The rapid development economy and the accelerating urbanization process have brought enormous pressure to the architectural heritage preservation since Tianjin was identified as the northern economic center of China in 2006. During the process of the damage on the architectural heritage, the government of Tianjin is still making great efforts to explore actively the way of the architectural heritage preservation and sustainable development with Tianjin characteristics. So, this paper will mainly make research on the architectural heritage preservation and sustainable development system of Tianjin with the theory of management, sociology and economics. The ultimate goal is to promote the preservation and sustainable development of the architectural heritage in Tianjin.

This study is targeted at the people who live in Jecheon. It investigated the general term concerning the preservation and reuse of architectural heritage, the awareness of local architectural heritage, and the civic consciousness about the relationship between architectural heritage and townscape. And, it is aimed to be used as a basic data for the preservation and reuse of architectural heritage and townscape in Jecheon. This study was conducted using the survey and the statistical analysis. The result are as followings. Firstly, when the policy related to the preservation and reuse of architectural heritage in Jecheon is to be made and proceeded, it should actively promote and reflect the views of the citizens. Secondly, it should be to develop the available utilization programs and to find the method to increase the accessibility of architectural heritage. Thirdly, it should be considered the method which can give the economic benefits to owners and the enjoyment of culture to the citizens. Lastly, the long term plan will be required for a distinctive townscape in Jecheon. And, when modern architecture adjacent to the architectural heritage is built, we should be considered the design which can be expressed the historicity of architectural heritage.

INTRODUCTION: In the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the preservation of architectural heritage has become critically important. In this regard, the documentation and preservation of architectural heritage have become crucial.OBJECTIVES: The study employs drone-based aerial imaging and terrestrial photography to generate accurate 3D models of a partially destroyed historic building.METHODS: A photogrammetric technique was employed to create an accurate 3D model of Campus K-2 of Sumy State University, destroyed by russian missiles on April 13, 2025, in Sumy, Ukraine. A comprehensive approach for involving photogrammetric reconstruction, texture processing, and building information modeling (BIM) integration was described. The research also outlines the challenges of restoring during wartime, discusses data acquisition and processing workflow, and evaluates the effectiveness of low-cost equipment and open-source software in achieving high-quality results.RESULTS: The resulting digital model captures structural deformations and facade details. The implemented approach enables documentation and monitoring of damaged structures. It also provides valuable fundamentals for the studied object’s future restoration, structural analysis, and memorialization.CONCLUSION: The research shows photogrammetry as a fast, reliable tool for documenting cultural heritage in wartime and emphasizes its social value for education and preservation. It also suggests adding protective architectural features to reconstructed heritage buildings to improve resilience in conflict zones.

It seems obvious that the spatial information of existing architectural heritage will be re-structured utilizing BIM technology. In the future to be able to implement such task, a new system of classification of spatial information, which fit to the structural nature of architectural heritage is necessary. This paper intend to suggest the conceptual model that can be the base of establishing new classification system for architectural heritage. For this study we reviewed researches related to classification system of architectural heritage (CS-AH) and BIM based architectural heritage (BIM-AH), first. As a result, we found that CS-AH is focused on building elevation and type, and BIM-AH is biased on the Library and Parametric Modeling. Second, we figured out a relationship between the CS-AH and BIM-AH. From this analysis, we found that BIM-AH is biased on Library and Parametric since the building elevation and type was focused on CS-AH. This review suggests a potential of the 3D CS-AH to expand the range of research for BIM-AH. At last, we suggest the three concept of classification are: 1)horizontality-accumulation relationship, 2)structure-infill relationship, 3)segment-member relationship. These three concept, together as one system of classification, could provide useful framework of new classification system of spatial information for architectural heritage.

Digital technologies have made their presence in the field of architectural heritage as an essential tool to save most historical structures from wearing out, environmental damage, and urban transformation. The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of digital information technology on the preservation of architectural heritage with a novel integration of interval valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy weighted average (IVq-ROFWA) and interval valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy weighted geometric (IVq-ROFWG) operators, an approach that has not, to the best of current knowledge, been previously applied in this domain. The application of these more advanced fuzzy aggregation methods provides the benefit of incorporating uncertainty and imprecision in expert judgments to account for the indeterminate, implicit relationships between various preservation criteria, including data accuracy, integration with restoration efforts, and long-term data accessibility. Given five alternatives considered in terms of five attributes, the IVq-ROFWA method rated augmented reality as the highest. In contrast, the IVq-ROFWG method rated heritage building information modeling as the highest. The present research highlights another aspect of high relevance to decision-makers, as it provides valuable recommendations on selecting the most effective digital tools to preserve their heritage. The novelty of the study lies in the introduction of new types of IVq-ROFWA and IVq-ROFWG operators in architectural heritage conservation, which provide more robust, precise, and reliable decisions based on uncertainty.

The focus of the research was to analyze how the use, re-use and the preservation of the architectural heritage could contribute to the socioeconomic revitalization of historic urban centres. The research was based on the analysis of literature and examples and was carried out from the global perspective: the experience of different countries on how the architectural heritage could become a socioeconomic catalyst was reviewed and compared. The results of the research include the conceptual framework for the architectural heritage as a socioeconomic opportunity for rehabilitation of historic built environment based on the idea that sustainably managed use, re-use, preservation, and maintenance of architectural heritage can have multipartite positive impact on revitalization and successful development of historic urban environment.

Preservation of architectural heritage is a top priority for every long-term development strategy. The idea is to create a healthier world by lowering environmental effects on architectural heritage by means of inventive, rapid and cost-effective options to eco-renovating heritage buildings. Conservation practices and initiatives must adhere to the historic current fabric, including its applications, connections, and values. These approaches must be focused on an enhancement strategy to reduce negative effects of environment on historical buildings. Lebanon is facing a slew of environmental issues as a result of poor environmental management, especially in the historic constructed environment. Because of this, the study will review the relationship between architecture and environment, discussing sustainable architecture, green buildings and its characteristics, and sustainability and architectural heritage conservation. Moreover, the study also explores architectural heritage and high-performance buildings, clarifying the impact of environment on architectural heritage, high performance buildings and their design objectives and characteristics. The study focuses mainly on quality techniques and high performance buildings, presenting quality in architecture aspects and Six Sigma as a quality improvement technique for enhancing performance of existing buildings. In this sense, we will shed some light on various attempts of green buildings and reduction of environmental impact on architectural heritage in Lebanon. The study proposes a new methodology as a performance improvement approach for converting the historical building into a high-performance one. The paper also emphasizes the role of sustainable development implementations to conserve the architectural heritage, while optimizing performance characteristics of historical buildings, using Six Sigma technique as enhancement strategy to achieve high-performance for historic buildings in Lebanon.

Whereas previously the basic element of architectural and historical heritage conservation was material value, the modern concept of heritage conservation is enhanced by mental value, social value, and identity. The paper reviews Russian and international legislative acts, regulations and guidelines on the identification and preservation of architectural heritage and demonstrates the use of novel digitalization methods in the conservation of surviving or physically lost architectural heritage.

The Ukrainian state is a country with centuries-old history, on her walks of life unique sights of architectural inheritance are kept. Prykarpattya counts 3944 sights of cultural heritage, from what 1443 are the objects of sights of architecture, 90 sights are the objects of national value, other 1353 are local. Two monuments of sacred architecture are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Church of the Holy Spirit in 1598 in Rohatyn and the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1808 in the village of Nyzhnii Verbizh, Kolomyia district. The basis of the development of the state is the preservation of cultural heritage, because it is a kind of engine of socio-cultural development of each nation. Preservation can be carried out by protecting, including material elements in modern urban planning, maintaining and monitoring the state of preservation and functioning of the cultural heritage object. The material part of the architectural heritage includes: urban planning systems, buildings and structures, anthropogenic landscapes, monuments of architecture, urban planning, monumental art, archeology, etc. The intangible part of the architectural heritage includes: professional experience, concepts theoretical views and ideas accumulated by the people and fixed in any form. Issues related to the protection and preservation of architectural heritage are regulated by the Convention for the Protection of European Architectural Heritage, which was ratified in 2006. The issue of assessing the architectural heritage is spelled out in the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Cultural Heritage”, which states that each architectural monument is an object of real estate and is subject to monetary valuation, since it carries property value. The article describes the number of architectural objects that we refer to as cultural monuments of national importance and on the example of several of them described their current state of preservation and architecture, as we see most of the architectural monuments need restoration. In the article, we analysed the methodology for assessing the state of preservation of architectural monuments and methods of monetary valuation of architectural objects and determined that none of them takes into account the historical value of the architectural heritage object, so we proposed to identify and take into account the following main criteria for evaluating an architectural monument: construction period, historical memory of the object, location of the object, tourist potential, socio-cultural object, uniqueness of the object, authenticity of the object. It is necessary to take into account the historical aspect in the methods of assessment, first of all, in order for people to realize the importance of preserving and protecting architectural objects. Keywords: architectural monument, state of preservation of architectural heritage, assessment of architectural heritage objects.

As a representative of the scientific and technological achievements of the new era, the overall development of virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming increasingly refined, which provides new development ideas and technical support in the field of ancient building restoration and architectural heritage preservation. In this context, digital conservation and the practice of architectural heritage have become important focuses of application in the industry. This paper starts from the core concept of VR technology, analyzes the value of the application of VR technology in the protection of ancient architecture, puts forward relevant suggestions and technical application methods, and takes Red Pagoda in Fuliang County as an example. In this sense, virtual reality technology is used to restore and protect the buildings, forming a digital heritage of ancient architecture. This study first utilizes a three-dimensional laser scanning instrument to collect point cloud data, and then the plane graph is drawn by measurement. Then, an Architectural Heritage Building Information Model is created, and comprehensive information on historical buildings is integrated. Finally, VR technology is used to show the effect of digital display and preservation. This study transforms architectural cultural heritage into a shareable and renewable digital form through restoration and reproduction, interpreting and utilizing it from a new perspective and providing new ideas and methods for architectural heritage conservation.

The preservation of architectural cultural heritage is a complex problem that requires the use of innovative Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and non-destructive investigation methodologies to assess the integrity of decorated artworks without altering their state of conservation. A complete diagnosis of crack pattern regarding not only the external decorated surface but also the internal support is of great importance due to the criticality of internal defects and damage phenomena, which may suddenly degenerate into irreversible failures Objective of the research is to use the Acoustic Emission monitoring to assess the support of the decorated mural surfaces of the Sacred Mountain of Varallo Renaissance Complex (Italy), developing the application aspects of this technique, which has been widely studied from a theoretical and experimental point of view by some Authors in the safeguard of civil and historical buildings. Moreover, a correlation exists between the regional seismic activity and the AE signals collected during structural monitoring. Therefore, the AET can be also used for the preservation of decorated artworks from the seismic risk. Then, the assessment of damage by electrical resistance measurements on laboratory mortar specimens and terracotta statues belonging to Chapel XVII of the Sacred Mountain of Varallo experiencing different stress conditions is presented. The evolution of damage based on changing electrical resistance shows agreement with theoretical predictions of continuum damage mechanics. The continuum damage models provide also theoretical support to estimate statues' residual lifetime by correlating in situ electrical resistance measurements with measurements on the laboratory specimens. Finally, the collapse mechanisms of sculpture and building decoration materials is investigated by means of the Overlapping Crack Model and AE technique. These methods permit to explain the size and slenderness effects on the structural ductility and to show that the energy release during the cracks evolution is a surface-dominated phenomenon

This chapter provides technical information and physics background to the use of thermographic cameras in the field of preservation and restoration of architectural cultural heritage. After an overview on how IR cameras work, both applications and common cases will be presented so that the operator may easily deal and recognize building pathologies and masonry anomalies. These, described in detail, range from water moist problems to structural gaps. As moisture and humidity related problems represent the majority of IR surveying cases in the field of architecture, they will be handled in a comprehensive way so that both the operator and the scholar are well prepared to understand and treat the pathologies these may cause. The operator is instructed on how to perform a project survey on a step by step layout based on the UNI 9252, the UNI EN 13187 and the ISO 9712:2005 regarding the methodologies of IR survey and the procedures of non destructive tests.