Modelling and Visualization Issues in the Architectural Heritage BIM

Building Information Modelling constituted an instrument of great innovation for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector, involving the entire building process because of the possibility to manage a large amount of data and information. The application of BIM to architectural heritage AHBIM (Architectural Heritage Building Information Modelling) still presents aspects that are being investigated, due to the complexity and specificity of cultural heritage such as the craftsmanship of historical buildings (far from standardization of the elements and constructive modern processes, typical of BIM) and the complexity of the information that the BIM methodology must manage for the documentation of architectural assets. It is proposed a reflection on the BIM processes as a tool for a complex representation of the architectural heritage, where the “all-encompassing” nature of BIM is applied to an existing reality. Taking into account a specific methodological approach to built heritage, the work aims to investigate the potential offered by 3-D modelling and digital visualizations for the study of historical, architectural, cultural and material values of historic buildings.