Applying Behavioural Architecture to Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM)

We currently live in data-rich societies where we constantly collect various forms of data. Questions arise regarding how to increase the value and sustainability of all available data. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process that is increasingly being used to collect data about building and infrastructure projects in the built environment. At the heart of BIM is a digital model with attached data that should be used across the lifecycle of the project. Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM), is a system used to model historic buildings and structures from laser scanning and photogrammetric data using Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools. Large data sets with analytics and visualisations have been successfully applied to the field of heritage and its sustainability. Advanced digital tools enable virtual construction of heritage structures however this process has its own limitations. Heritage is a complex concept that has been loosely defined by different people in different ways. For example, heritage defined by experts may not necessarily mean the same thing to local communities or visitors. Heritage comprises the day-to-day life of people including their political and economic contexts. The way people perceive and interrelate with heritage varies however this social aspect of interacting with heritage is usually neglected. Policy makers and designers often make assumptions about how to conserve and develop historical sites without involving local people and end users. Behavioural architecture focuses on the interactions of human beings and the built environment by considering the social, cognitive and emotional aspects in studying the spatial behaviour of users. The aim of this project is to apply behavioural architecture tools to the field of HBIM to maximize the value of heritage and improve its sustainability.