Photogrammetry of architectural heritage amid climate change and seismic risk: Adobe, rock, and brick structures in the Andes Mountain Range and plains of Mendoza, Argentina

Structural analysis and a sustainable solution for Baroque domes was explored by focusing on the Hermitage of Calvary (La Ermita del Calvario in Canet Lo Roig, Spain), an eighteenth century architectural heritage structure in Spain. Integrating architectural history, structural mechanics and contemporary engineering, a novel circular tensegrity dome system is proposed, rooted in semi-regular tension-integral units. Through singular value decomposition and equilibrium matrix theory, the geometric design, self-stress modes and mechanical displacement behaviours of semi-regular structures were analysed and optimised. A sunflower-shaped cable dome was incorporated within a circular ring system to form a fully tensioned and self-balanced dome, achieving both aesthetic elegance and structural efficiency. Numerical simulation and non-linear static analysis confirmed the stability, minimal displacement and high stiffness under load, demonstrating engineering feasibility. The proposed framework enhances the understanding of Baroque dome mechanics and offers a sustainable structural solution for restoring and modernising historical architecture while preserving cultural identity.

Perceptual discrepancies on architectural heritage conservation: a comparison of stakeholder-centred views

ABSTRACT This study investigates the structural vulnerability of Huizhou covered bridges under mountain-flood events to enhance the resilience of traditional architectural heritage. A dataset of 116 flood-induced damage cases involving 89 bridges over a five-year period was analyzed to identify damage patterns and dominant risk factors. A machine-learning framework based on the Random Forest (RF) algorithm was developed to quantify factor importance and to elucidate nonlinear impact mechanisms. Results show that bridges with stone-arch foundations and brick-timber truss systems exhibit the highest flood resistance. Bridges located near transportation nodes or drainage outlets experience lower damage probabilities due to shielding effects from surrounding buildings. Six factors — openness ratio, protection level, building height, structural type, state of repair, and ground-floor area — collectively account for over 75% of the total relative importance, indicating their dominant role in flood vulnerability. Factors with importance values below 0.05 were removed through Area Under the Curve (AUC) and Accuracy (ACC) optimization, resulting in optimal model performance. Based on the identified damage mechanisms and risk drivers, the study proposes targeted mitigation strategies integrating engineering and non-engineering measures. These findings provide quantitative evidence to support the protection, management, and preventive conservation of Huizhou covered-bridge heritage.

ABSTRACT Modern archaeological museums built since the early Republican era in Turkey embody the secular state’s vision of modernization, combining modern architecture with the instrumentalization of archaeology in nation-building narratives. Despite increasing recognition of modern heritage globally, such buildings in Turkey often remain overlooked, facing threats of demolition or neglect. With the demolition of the Antalya Archaeological Museum on the agenda, this article draws attention to the conservation of modern architectural heritage. It examines two further museums, Çanakkale Archaeological Museum and Aphrodisias Museum, with different fates and discusses their current preservation issues. These institutions are not merely exhibition spaces but ideological instruments in the construction of national identity and collective memory. The study contextualizes them within international conservation frameworks and highlights the tension between their symbolic significance and current treatment. Through the cases, the study evaluates how architectural, functional, and political transformations reflect still under-recognized memory spaces of modern architectural heritage in Turkey.

Abstract. This paper explores the role of 3D reconstruction based on archival drawings as a tool for the interpretation and valorization of modern architectural heritage. The study focuses on the Garzanti Foundation Institution in Forlì (Italy), designed by Gio Ponti in the 1950s and currently unused, for which a rich corpus of original drawings is preserved at the Study Centre and Archive of Communication of the University of Parma. Through the analysis and integration of design documents produced during different phases of the project, a 3D model of the building’s original design was developed. The digital reconstruction supports a critical reading of Ponti’s design intentions and highlights the transformations between the project and the existing building. Beyond its analytical value, the model is conceived as a resource for cultural dissemination, enabling mobile and AR (Augmented Reality) experiences aimed at communicating the architectural value of the building to a broader audience. The research investigates how archival-based digital models can enhance access to, understanding of, and engagement with twentieth-century architectural heritage.

This study examines the challenge of integrating heritage preservation with the development of modern educational infrastructure at Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), focusing on the historic Pleburan Campus and the ongoing construction of the Twin Towers as part of the university’s 2023–2032 master plan. Universities worldwide face the dual imperative of accommodating growing student populations and evolving pedagogical models while safeguarding their cultural and architectural heritage. UNDIP confronts this issue as it seeks to modernize its campus without compromising its historical identity. The study investigates how UNDIP can preserve the structural integrity and cultural significance of its aging heritage buildings while expanding technologically advanced facilities that meet contemporary academic needs, particularly exploring the tension between conservation and modernization. A case study and design-based approach was adopted, combining site assessments, structural analyses, stakeholder interviews, and geospatial mapping. This approach enabled a comprehensive evaluation of heritage buildings’ conditions and the integration strategies employed for the Twin Towers development. Structural assessments revealed that heritage buildings face limitations in accommodating modern infrastructure without significant reinforcement, while newer buildings offer greater adaptability. Stakeholders expressed strong attachment to heritage structures but recognized the need for modernization. The Twin Towers project represents a strategic response, designed to harmonize architectural continuity and support academic growth. Geospatial analysis highlighted potential environmental risks near heritage sites, informing mitigation strategies. UNDIP’s sustainable campus development requires a balanced, continuous strategy that respects the historical and cultural legacy of heritage buildings while leveraging modern infrastructure to meet future educational demands. Inclusive planning and sensitive architectural integration are essential to maintaining campus cohesion and institutional identity. This study provides a framework for universities facing similar heritage-modernization challenges globally.

Abstract. This paper presents a Scan-to-HBIM-to-XR workflow aimed at supporting preventive and planned conservation of complex architectural heritage. The proposed methodology integrates multi-source 3D surveying, semantic information modelling, and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies into a unified operational framework. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and UAV-based photogrammetry are combined to generate an accurate and georeferenced digital replica, which forms the basis for the development of a semantically enriched HBIM model. The model is structured to integrate geometric, historical, construction, and diagnostic data, including quantitative indicators for assessing masonry quality and conservation status. To enhance accessibility and usability, the HBIM dataset is connected to a lightweight AR application that enables on-site consultation and updating of alphanumeric BIM data. Through spatial alignment with the real architecture, users can document degradation phenomena, create AR-based segmentations and georeferenced annotations, and transmit updates to a cloud system, where they are automatically integrated into the HBIM model, ensuring a continuous feedback loop between field activities and the central model. Tested on the historic city walls of Fano (Italy), the workflow demonstrates how HBIM and AR can be combined to transform digital models into dynamic decision-support tools, bridging the gap between documentation, monitoring, and long-term heritage management.

Abstract. Research often focuses on architecture as a whole, seeking to explore its various scales as thoroughly as possible. However, some aspects, such as decorative friezes, play a decisive role not only in terms of decoration but also in understanding architecture as a whole. Besides, understanding an entire system of ornamental decorations is linked to resolving specific complexities, which make it difficult to access in its entirety. These include the study of types, their recurrence and comparison, the possibility of inferring connections from common elements, and the accessibility of all these aspects to experts in the field. In fact, comparing historical-artistic ornamental repertoires across sites and periods is often hindered by fragmented documentation and inconsistent terminology, which make systematic verification of recurrences and variants difficult. This paper proposes a methodological framework for constructing an interrogable Atlas of architectural ornament based on a property-graph model, designed to reconnect visual evidence, typological classification, contextual data, and bibliographic sources within a single relational structure. The workflow integrates image-based acquisition and orthometric products, vector reference drawings for typological definition, a controlled thesaurus for terminological normalization, and a repeatable ETL pipeline for data ingestion into a graph database. Within this framework, decorative instances, classes, and morphological families are explicitly linked to architectural context, chronology, images, and sources, enabling evidence-first navigation and controlled comparative analysis. To assess the approach, the method is applied to a case study on geometric mosaic bands, comprising 34 parietal and pavement classes on planar surfaces (5th–12th centuries) in monuments from Ravenna and Rome. The resulting Atlas supports cross-site and cross-period comparison by making typological proximity, variants, and attestations directly inspectable together with their supporting documentation. Rather than a generic digital archive, the contribution defines an operational structure for comparative research on architectural ornament, offering a scalable and verifiable framework for cumulative knowledge building and future extensions.

Abstract. In the domain of Cultural Heritage Restoration, the demand for high-fidelity 3D models with accurate textures and geometry is critical for documentation, analysis, and conservation. While photogrammetry remains the standard in restoration field due to its ability to produce reliable, high-resolution textures, it faces limitations when dealing with reflective, transparent, or textureless surfaces. Recent advancements in in neural rendering techniques, particularly Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) and 3D Gaussian Splatting, offer promising alternatives by enabling photorealistic scene reconstruction from unstructured image sets. This study presents a comparative evaluation of photogrammetry, NeRFs, and Gaussian Splatting, assessing their performance and suitability for restoration-oriented applications, with particular attention to scenarios where the limitations of photogrammetry hinder comprehensive documentation. The evaluation is conducted on a set of heterogeneous case studies, ranging from sculptures and design objects to architectural heritage buildings.

Abstract. The present study aims to investigate whether the graphic code embedded in analogue architectural drawings—characterised by standardised textures and conventions—provides sufficient semantic information to support a simple, robust, and reproducible deep-learning-based segmentation approach, even under conditions of limited annotated data. The research focuses on a corpus of historical drawings preserved in the Archivio dei Disegni e Fototeca of the Dipartimento di Storia, Disegno e Restauro dell’Architettura at Sapienza Università di Roma, in which materials and construction techniques of Roman architectural heritage are represented through encoded graphic patterns and conventions. Starting from a limited set of 19 manually annotated drawings, a reproducible pipeline based on a U-Net architecture with a ResNet-34 backbone is developed, combining tiling strategies, data augmentation, and high-resolution inference. The results show high Overall Accuracy and Weighted IoU values, confirming the model’s ability to interpret the implicit graphic language of the drawings, even in conditions of strong class imbalance and limited data availability. Inference on unseen drawings demonstrates an acceptable degree of generalisation, opening new possibilities for the automatic semantic digitisation of historical graphic archives. The study highlights the potential of analogue architectural drawings as a structured source of knowledge for artificial intelligence applications in the documentation, analysis, and conservation of the built heritage.

Abstract. The paper presents a two-phase methodological protocol for creating an Extended Matrix (EM) based BIM model (EM-BIM). The EM, developed by the ISPC-CNR institute, was designed to manage data, metadata, and paradata related to virtual reconstructions in archaeology. This research introduces a methodology for geometric and informational modelling, based on an HBIM approach, of existing architectural heritage using EM tools within Historical Building Information Modelling (HBIM) approach. Knowledge-based structure of EM is similar to object-based system of BIM: both methodologies are grounded in a relational approach to 3D data structuring. Furthermore, EM explicitly incorporates paradata using a visual knowledge graph system. Tested on the Doric Stoa of Priene, the first phase of the study focused on decoding the graphic language of EM to automatically generate and populate ad hoc descriptors within the HBIM environment using a visual programming language (VPL). A second phase involved the setting up of a BuildingSMART Data Dictionary (bsDD) to map the EM classification against the IFC classes, to standardise the generation of dedicated ‘property sets’.

The conservation of architectural heritage poses significant challenges in buildings characterised by complex construction sequences, cumulative transformations and fragmented documentation, where traditional methods are insufficient to coherently integrate geometry, historical information and stratigraphic analysis. This study proposes and applies a multitemporal Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) workflow aimed at reconstructing and managing the historical evolution of architecture, using the Church of La Sang in Llíria (València, Spain) as a case study characterised by the superposition of Islamic, Gothic and contemporary phases. The methodology combines documentary and archaeological analysis, in situ stratigraphic observation and high-resolution terrestrial laser scanning as the geometric basis of the HBIM model. Historical phases are integrated as structural components of the information model, with explicit documentation of interpretative hypotheses and associated levels of reliability. The results show that the proposed approach enables the identification and reinterpretation of spatial and constructive relationships not previously described, the critical assessment of existing historical hypotheses, and the generation of coherent three-dimensional reconstructions even in contexts with incomplete information. The resulting documentary archive facilitates diachronic comparison of phases, ensures traceability of constructive elements and supports the production of reliable graphic and analytical documentation, establishing itself as a valuable tool for historical research, heritage management and the planning of future conservation interventions.

Bandung, Indonesia, known for its rich colonial and modern architectural heritage, offers a distinctive urban context where historical narratives and spatial memory can be embedded into contemporary commercial spaces. However, many shops operating within heritage buildings neglect conservation principles and disregard the historical significance of the structures they occupy. Commercial interests often override preservation concerns, resulting in unsympathetic renovations, visual pollution, and the erasure of original architectural elements. Regulatory frameworks are frequently ignored due to limited awareness, weak enforcement, or short-term business priorities. These practices undermine the authenticity of the built environment and represent missed opportunities for place-based branding and meaningful spatial storytelling. This study addresses these challenges through three objectives: (1) identifying cases in Bandung and abroad where shops have integrated historical memory into the retail experience; (2) analyzing strategies used to embed memory within commercial interior design; and (3) formulating implementation models aligned with conservation goals in Bandung. Utilizing a qualitative research design and a comparative approach with selected international cases, the study draws on spatial analysis, archival research, and stakeholder interviews. The findings underscore the importance of living narrative that is supported by community in enhancing both heritage preservation and brand identity. Therefore, further study can be focused on integrative approaches that balance commercial objectives with cultural continuity.

Huizhou covered bridges represent a unique and irreplaceable component of China′s architectural heritage, yet they are increasingly threatened by flash floods. In the Huizhou region, complex mountainous terrain, concentrated intense rainfall, and structural aging jointly exacerbate flood damage risks. Existing flood risk assessment approaches often prioritize external hydrodynamic hazards or assume linear additive effects, overlooking the complex interactions among inherent structural and physical attributes. To address this limitation, this study integrates Random Forest (RF) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to develop a flood risk assessment framework capable of capturing both nonlinear relationships and configurational (asymmetric) causal mechanisms. Based on field investigations of 89 covered bridges and 116 documented damage cases from 2020 to 2024, the RF model identifies six key risk factors (ACC = 0.79, AUC = 0.87), several of which exhibit pronounced nonlinear and threshold effects. Building on these results, fsQCA further reveals eight equivalent configurational pathways leading to covered bridge damage (solution coverage = 0.66, solution consistency = 0.94), highlighting multiple causal combinations rather than a single dominant driver. The results demonstrate that the disaster resilience of covered bridges emerges from interactions among structural characteristics, management conditions, and spatial scale attributes, rather than from any individual factor alone. Accordingly, this study advocates a shift in protection strategies from conventional “one-size-fits-all” structural reinforcement toward risk-pattern-oriented, precision-based non-structural interventions. By combining predictive modeling with configurational causal analysis, this research provides a system-level understanding of flood-induced damage mechanisms and offers actionable insights for flood risk mitigation and sustainable conservation of covered bridge heritage in Huizhou and comparable regions worldwide.

Microclimate monitoring analysis and risk assessment of traditional Chinese architectural heritage: A Zhongde Palace case study

A deep learning-based semantic segmentation framework for 3D reconstruction of heritage architecture

Residential architectural heritage in Jilin Province, particularly along the Chinese Eastern and South Manchuria Railways, represents the most abundant and widespread form of heritage in the region. This study investigates the distinctive features of these heritage buildings, which are often overlooked due to their technological simplicity, ubiquity, and atypical nature. We analyzed 28 floor plans of residential buildings from the Russian and Japanese colonial periods using GIS technology, space syntax, and Z-score normalization. The findings reveal that (1) Russian elite housing layouts are complex and circular, while Japanese layouts consist of multiple branching combinations; Russian common housing typically has single-node, multi-branch layouts, whereas Japanese housing features multi-node, fewer-branch designs; (2) Russian houses prioritize warmth and privacy, with enclosed layouts that emphasize defensiveness, while Japanese houses focus on space efficiency, rational movement, and multifunctional design, with open layouts highlighting spatial integration and functional differentiation; (3) cultural differences are reflected in factors such as the historical rivalry between Russian and Japanese powers, natural environments, family structures, and standardized construction techniques. This study offers new insights into the cultural characteristics and historical context of Jilin Province’s railway residential heritage and supports its protection and future research.

ABSTRACT From the outset of independence from British rule in 1960, Cyprus was marked by intercommunal conflict between Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots, which led to the abrupt division of the island in 1974; a key moment in Cyprus’s modern history, fragmenting the island with buffer and military zones. Inevitably, modern architecture that was once embraced as a vehicle to nation building and a path to modernity became entangled with decolonial struggles, intercommunal conflict, and the island’s current physical and socio-political division, comprising some unintended heritage, of which its value is ambiguously defined. This article discusses the theoretical framework of ‘Uneasy, but Shared Heritage’ that moves beyond the binary of contested or shared heritage, and introduces USHer, a mobile app devised as a methodological experiment informed by contemporary debates that challenge official heritage lists and the role of digital tools in opening the meaning(s) of value – what is defined as heritage and why, by whom and for whom – to a broader audience. As a disciplinary encounter between architectural history and critical heritage studies, USHer is investigated as a mediation of the intangible value of architectural heritage in contested territories.

This research paper intends to investigate and trace the historical progression and transformations of the city of Bijapur (present-day Vijayapura) located in Karnataka between 1889 and 2024. It will specifically highlight the historical development of Bijapur with regard to its social constructs and culture, Urban Development, Urbanization of Build-up Areas; Architectural Construction Milestones throughout the course of the historical period as Listed. Within its context, Bijapur has been characterized as a City with a Significant Cultural Heritage (Architectural Heritage), Most Linked To The Adil Shahi emperors. During the Early Years of the British Raj, Post Independence(1947) and present era (2021), the city underwent extensive development through a wide range of building practices that have resulted in a variety of building styles across multiple architectural traditions. The research will document milestones relating to the historical development of the city of Bijapur in terms of its Building Milestones, along with related Urban Development Infrastructure.