Heritage BIM: New ways of digital data management for the historic built environment

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The aim of the project is to investigate how a widely-used IT system for the centralised storage and dissemination of information about a building (Building Information Modelling) can be applied to existing, and specifically historic, built environments. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is essentially a visual 3D model of a building, populated with structured data related to its fabric and assets. BIM is heavily promoted by Government and industry as a vital tool to understand and manage the built environment, but its use to date has been almost exclusively in new buildings. This leaves substantial potential for BIM as a tool for understanding and managing a broader range of existing buildings, including historic and heritage sites. The vision of this research is to develop an innovative digital information model suitable for use in the heritage sector to record, display and help conserve the historic built environment. This will draw on the increasing use of BIM in design and construction, but with an emphasis on discovering how current approaches need to be adapted to suit the specific requirements of the heritage sector, including for example 'as-built' rather than 'as-designed' structures and materials; a chronology of change using archaeological resources; open accessibility to visitors etc. Our key research questions are therefore: 'What would Heritage BIM look like, and how could it be used?'To answer these questions, the student will develop and demonstrate a range of skills, from the technical challenges of 3D digital scanning techniques to the softer social science methods used when interacting with people. Digital data acquisition for the 3D model will come from laser scanning and photogrammetry, and the use of sophisticated software for manipulation and editing of the resultant model mesh. Ethnographic research methods will provide a framework for investigating the ways that people conceptualise and use the study site, and will require the student to spend extended periods of time with a range of relevant groups.