Virtual Reconstruction of the Deconstructed Heritage: The Former Building of the Belo Horizonte School of Medicine

Abstract

Built between 1911 and 1914 by architect Francisco Izidoro Monteiro, the former neoclassical building of the Belo Horizonte School of Medicine (BHSM) was located in a central area of the city. Its design, inspired by the European precepts at the time, was embedded in the same architectural language that characterized the cityscape of the capital of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The original building was gradually dismantled and completely demolished in 1960 to make way for the present headquarters. Few records of its existence remain. In order to contribute to the construction of the digital heritage of the old BHSM building, this article presents its virtual reconstruction, and demonstrates and analyzes the application of Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) for this purpose. Based on data collection and the organization of numerous references (historical photographs, former students’ recollections, magazine articles, books, minutes, and photogrammetry of the remains), a hypothetical model of the building was developed to represent its condition as built and prior to demolition. Despite the difficulties in modeling, it was possible to perform a virtual historical reconstruction of the building, providing a better understanding of the building that does not currently exist. The preservation of the digital heritage of the demolished building aims to raise public awareness of its memory, which is consistent with the collection of the Memory Center of the UFMG School of Medicine (CEMEMOR).