The Digital Historic Structure Report (DHSR): Modern Construction Management for Cultural Heritage Preservation

Abstract

Preservation professionals have been documenting cultural heritage since the height of the Renaissance when Raphael petitioned Pope Leo X to commission him to record for posterity buildings being ravaged of materials for the building boom of Rome in the 15^th century. Documentation methods have evolved over the centuries to arrive at our 21^st century practices of employing technology beyond the considerable imaginations of those venerable Romans. Modern preservation practice documents historic structures using a tool known as an Historic Structures Report (HSR). HSRs set forth the evolutionary history of a structure, its current existing conditions, and a preservation philosophy which dictates preservation efforts.

In the digital age, information is key to the success of all industry. The construction industry has capitalized on information with the assimilation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) into work processes during the design, construction, and management of modern buildings. BIM has gained some acceptance in the cultural heritage preservation sector. With adaptations to accommodate challenges presented by historic structures it has become Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM). However, HBIM has yet to become widely integrated with preservation practice. This research investigates a path which shows promise for increased acceptance of the technology. By combining an HSR and an HBIM to create a Digital Historic Structures Report (DHSR), this research sought to gauge the response of preservation professionals to this new digital tool. The research design employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to gather data provided from semi-structured interviews of participants asked to review DHSRs created for structures on the site.

The data showed enthusiasm amongst the participants for the technology. The participants were engaged during the review process and many of them imagined creative ways to utilize the DHSR within their discipline. Analysis of the data indicated acceptance of the technology as the participants experiences were illuminated by themes of usefulness, accessible, value, and awareness. These themes found in the data show undoubtedly that an HSR reimagined as a DHSR using an HBIM platform could aid the acceptance of this technology by evolving a traditional beloved tool into an exciting new tool for 21^st century preservation.