What is it about?

This study explores how new technologies can improve the way we document and preserve historic buildings. Using a Spanish monastery as a case study (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Monastery of San Millán de Yuso), it tests digital tools to organize and share restoration information. The results show that these tools help collaboration and planning, but more work is needed to make them easier to use and share. Training professionals in these technologies is also essential.

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Why is it important?

We propose an innovative system that combines a document typology catalogue, 3D modelling (HBIM), and semantic knowledge tools to improve how restoration information is managed in architectural heritage conservation. Unlike previous approaches, our framework connects dispersed data and supports collaboration between professionals. Tested on a complex UNESCO World Heritage Site, it proves adaptable to diverse heritage contexts. This work highlights the urgent need for digital training and shows how structured documentation can improve long-term preservation strategies.

Perspectives

Writing this article was especially meaningful to me, as it represents the final part of my PhD and marks the closing of an intense period of research. It allowed me to bring together the theoretical insights and practical experiences gathered over several years. This publication is also the result of interdisciplinary collaboration, which has been both enriching and essential to shaping my approach to heritage conservation. I hope it contributes to opening new paths for integrating digital tools in restoration practices and encourages further dialogue between technology and cultural heritage.

Jaione Korro
Universidad del Pais Vasco

At the beginning, we wanted to share our experiences in the use of three new and appealing tools for information management applied to cultural heritage from conservator-restorer’s point of view: specific taxonomies (such as the CTD described here), 3D environment (case of the HBIM) and semantics (i.e., the knowledge graph). Often, these technologies have been considered rather inaccessible for many users; nevertheless, we would like to point out that it is not the software but the knowledge process implied during the development of these tools which provides the greatest benefit to the stakeholders... and this latter is perfectly accessible for everyone.

Alvaro Rodriguez Miranda
Universidad del Pais Vasco

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: New perspectives and usual challenges: present technologies for document management in architectural heritage conservation-restoration works, Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, March 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3723455.
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