2023 Theses Master's

Towards the Integration of Visual and Data: Building Information Modelling (BIM) Evaluation for Historic Documentation

Adiputri, Kemuning A.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a term typically used to describe a method of utilizing a particular type of “sophisticated” Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software with a certain degree of intelligence. It is growing in significance, with countries starting to establish mandates which expedite tool utilization throughout the globe. As one part of the construction industry in general, the mandates also apply to projects involving historic buildings. Within the preservation workflow, one of the valuable steps is historic documentation, which supports the knowledge resource from the beginning to the end of safeguarding important monuments, even beyond.

By comparing the purpose of BIM and historic documentation with interviews, literature reviews, and software analyses, this thesis has suggested BIM's potential utility in complementing or even substituting the traditional documentation approach, informing the potential value of this research in the field of preservation, technology, and policy-making. This thesis discovered BIM’s strengths and challenges for documentation, and based on the result of the evaluation, I have concluded that the value BIM provides makes its utilization worthy of being implemented in the field for certain types of documentation projects.

As a supporting tool for BIM mandates or BIM projects in general, a protocol is an important guide to utilize the software, allowing a standardized output and efficient workflow. This thesis evaluated the inadequacies of existing BIM protocols which mainly consist of standards for new buildings and argued that specific standards for documentation would be imperative to accomplish a more targeted approach. A new standard titled Historic Documentation BIM (HDBIM) protocol, including the application guideline was proposed, as a first draft of BIM protocol intended specifically for historic documentation.