The HBIM Model as a Source in the Building Reconstruction Process: A Case Study of the “Koprówka” in Celestynów, Poland

Abstract

Since the early 21st century, BIM technology has enhanced building design, construction and management, while continuously evolving to create new specializations. Despite this, its full potential remains untapped. Today, BIM offers diverse applications in construction and related industries, incorporating advanced techniques such as laser scanning and photogrammetry. A specialized approach, HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modeling), enables the digital mapping, documentation, analysis and management of historic architecture. This study focuses on the Koprowski Family Villa in Celestynów, known as “Koprówka”, demolished twenty years ago. Despite its cultural significance, the property disappeared from the village. Using LiDAR survey data, preserved window frames, archival photographs and documents, this engineering study reconstructs “Koprówka” as an HBIM model, integrated into the existing landscape. The resulting 3D model can aid municipal authorities and potential investors in rebuilding “Koprówka”, while emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage in shaping local identity and raising awareness of historical structures’ value.

1. Introduction

This paper describes a detailed methodology for creating a comprehensive information model of a building that once stood on Świerczewskiego Street in Celestynów, Poland—Professor Hilary Koprowski’s villa (Figure 1), colloquially known as “Koprówka”. The professor, whose parents purchased the property in 1927 ([1], p. 12), was one of Poland’s most prominent virologists. Koprowski discovered and developed the first effective vaccine against the polio virus (Figure 2), which causes poliomyelitis ([1], p. 17), a disease that mainly affects children. The consequence of the disease is permanent and extensive muscle damage in the lower extremities. In the autumn of 1959, when the epidemic of the disease was spreading on a huge scale in Poland, the professor donated nine million doses of the vaccine free of charge to Polish children. The scientist’s gesture significantly contributed to the decline of the disease—the number of patients within Polish borders dropped to almost zero [2].

The villa where the young Koprowski grew up, which is an important part of Celestynów’s cultural heritage, was demolished in 2004 in accordance with the decision of the mayor (Tomasz Atłowski) and the Council of Celestynów Municipality and with the approval of the conservator. Despite the palace’s great importance for the local community and its extraordinary role in shaping the identity of the village, it could not be saved due to the progressive degradation of the walls (brick construction), which threatened to collapse. The main motivation for choosing this case was the desire to show that precise 3D models of historical buildings can be a valuable tool to motivate the authorities to take action to rebuild once existing buildings and thus to bring the process of rebuilding the Koprowski estate on Celestyn lands closer. Accurate visualizations showing the planned investment, integrated into its surroundings, can become one of the key resources to support the decision-making process regarding land use [3]. They can prove to be a particularly important resource in a situation where there are disagreements among residents and authorities about what exactly should appear in an area and for what exact purposes the land should be used. For many years, there have been heated debates within the boundaries of the Celestin land regarding the decision as to whether a defunct building should be rebuilt. It is an issue that continues to ignite lively debates among the local community and does not allow “Koprówka” to fade into oblivion.

2. Literature Review

The process of creating the model used advanced BIM technology, which is now being used by more and more construction projects around the world [4]. It is a methodology for managing building information that integrates all aspects of a facility’s design, construction and operation into a digital 3D model. This innovative approach not only speeds up and streamlines the construction process through the better planning and coordination of the activities involved in the creation of a new development [5] but also enables the creation of realistic visualizations that help encourage potential investors to undertake construction activities and that can persuade stakeholders to get involved in the project. The designers and users of sustainable, intelligent buildings also have opportunities for creative and innovative use in urban spaces [6].

With the rapid development of the construction sector, BIM technology has evolved to form many branches of specialization. In the field of historic preservation, the BIM process is being refined in the context of a “modern system for modeling historic buildings” [7], which uses photogrammetric technologies such as 3D laser scanning. The growing number of BIM subsets is causing its strong development [8]. The process, which is an extension of BIM technology, is defined as Historical Building Information Modeling/Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM), which is fundamentally different from the common applications of BIM in newly constructed buildings [9]. It is recognized that HBIM should be used in the analysis of buildings with historic value and heritage buildings and support the sustainable preservation of heritage assets [10]. To create a comprehensive information model of a building, unlike BIM technology, HBIM allows the combining of different types of data, including survey data, documents and archival photos, to recreate non-existent buildings in virtual reality [11]. Such models can be updated thanks to solutions based on artificial intelligence algorithms [12]. HBIM uses data from IoT sensors for intelligent detection in monitoring, sorting, storing and managing information and data in real time using digital platforms [13]. HBIM principles can be applied not only to support facility managers in the preventive protection of their assets [14] but also in the reconstruction of non-existent buildings or infrastructure [15].

Unfortunately, despite the progress that has been made with the introduction of BIM technology and its branches in the construction sector, many in the industry still do not have sufficient knowledge of the available solutions to reap their benefits. Thus, the potential of HBIM technology remains untapped, and the chances of realizing investments that are not currently being realized due to various factors are greatly diminished. Thus, the purpose of the work was to create an HBIM model of the Koprowski estate and highlight its extraordinary value for the cultural heritage and identity of the village of Celestynów in Poland. The digital replica of the physical elements of the mansion was created with a view to its potential use in the process of restoring the building in the future.

3. Materials and Methods

To create the HBIM model, various data sources and tools in the form of appropriate software were required to map the demolished property. The process of creating the 3D model was divided into two parts—the part of making a family of windows, which in the following part of the work was used to estimate other dimensions of the defunct building, and the part describing the process of modeling the body of the “Koprówka” and its components.

The first stage of the research work involved LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning, which was then used in a scan-to-BIM procedure [16]. Scans were made of four windows that were preserved during the 2004 dissection of “Koprówka” by Ms. Iwona Skóra and made available to the paper’s co-author. During the modeling of the window families, the author’s own photographs and measurements taken on site with a building measure were also helpful (Figure 3).

The second phase of the research used archival data collected in the fall of 2023, which became useful in the process of faithfully mapping the building in virtual reality. Among them were archival photographs of “Koprówka”, which were obtained courtesy of people deeply connected to the history of Celestynów who have been interested in the fate of the Koprowski estate for years, as well as a site plan from 1987 made available by the State Archives in Warsaw, which shows the foundations of the then-existing “Koprówka” (Figure 4).

An operative survey of the mortgage property, “Kolonia Hilarów” (Figure 5), obtained from the archives of the Otwock District Starost’s Office, also proved to be an extremely valuable source, including “Sketch No. 6”, on which Eng. Stanislaw Tuliński plotted the outline of the “Koprówka” foundations, along with their dimensions. The operative also included a sketch of the survey matrix and the boundary reference of the property under the mortgage name “Kolonia Hilarów” at a scale of 1:500 (Figure 6).

During the modeling of the building’s elements, we also used our own photographs and measurements of the post from the “Koprówka” railing (Figure 7), taken with a building measure. This element of the former building was also made available courtesy of Ms. Iwona Skóra.

During the study, a wide range of applications were used to comprehensively prepare the HBIM model. Among them, two main types can be distinguished: computer programs and applications for mobile (tablet) devices. The leading BIM environment was Autodesk Revit 2023.1.3., which allows for a combination of different data types.

Table 1. Summary of applications used.

Name and Software	Purpose of Use	Price in PLN (Current as of 2024)
Revit (version 2023.1.3)	- creation of a virtual 3D model of the “Koprówka” with .rvt extension -modeling of individual building elements (creation of families with .rfa extension)	Autodesk offers a choice of several plans for Revit: - 1 month (price: 1870), - 1 year (price: 14,840), - 3 years (price: 44,526).
Autodesk ReCap Pro (version v.24.1)	- clearing point clouds of unnecessary coordinates and preparing them for further modeling	Autodesk offers a choice of several plans for ReCap Pro: - 1 month (price: 246), - 1 year (price: 1987), - 3 years (price: 5966).
AutoCAD (version 24.3.61.0)	- dimensioning of other parts of the building based on known window dimensions; applying dimensions to photos	Autodesk offers a choice of several plans for AutoCAD: - 1 month (price: 1286), - 1 year (price: 10,345), - 3 years (price: 31,027).
Twinmotion (version 2023.2.4)	- creation of a visualization showing the fit of “Koprówka” into the surroundings with the existing state of land development	0.00 (for the purpose of completing the thesis, the free version of the software available to students was used. Plans for an expanded version of the software are available at: https://www.twinmotion.com/en-US/license [accessed 2 November 2024])
ArcGIS Pro (version 3.0.36056)	- development of maps	PLN 0.00 (for the purpose of completing the thesis, the free version of the software available to students was used. Plans for an extended version of the software are available at: https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-pro/buy [accessed 7 December 2024])
Undet for Revit (version 24.2.0.2527)	- creation of raster images from cross-sections through point clouds, which were used to model the window family	0.00 (for the purpose of completing the thesis, a free, 3-month version of the software available to students was used. Plans for an expanded version of the software are available at: https://www.undet.com/undet products/undet-for-revit-point-cloud/ [accessed 7 August 2024])
Undet Indexer (version 1.8.6.2485)	- change the .rcp extension generated in Autodesk ReCap Pro to an .ipcp extension, allowing the use of Undet software features	0.00 (for the purpose of completing the thesis, a free, 3-month version of the software available to students was used. Plans for an expanded version of the software are available at: https://www.undet.com/undetproducts/undet-for-revit-point-cloud/ [accessed 7 August 2024])
Scanivers (version 3.1.3)	- Window image registration using LiDAR scanning technology	0.00 (software available free of charge)
Concepts (version 6.15.1)	- dimensioning of other parts of the building based on known window dimensions; applying dimensions to photos	0.00 (software available free of charge)

shows a summary of the programs, their use and prices, current as of 2024. When creating the model, the authors assumed an accuracy of several centimeters; however, the irregularity of the structure and limitations in the sources may result in a tolerance of 10–20 cm.

4. Results

4.1. Creating a Window Family

To recreate the mass of the demolished building digitally, it was important to obtain as many dimensions as possible that allowed a reliable rendering of the dimensions of the once-existing “Koprówka.” The dimensioning of the building’s structural elements was aided by the four windows preserved during the demolition of the villa, which for the purposes of the work were made available for research from the private archive of Ms. Iwona Skóra. The original windows of “Koprówka” were to be an exhibit in a memorial showcase dedicated to the history of the village, which was to be created in the historic train station in Celestynów. Unfortunately, this exhibition was never organized, and the window frames remained hidden for years. Thanks to the measurements taken of the windows, it was possible to determine the dimensions of other parts and elements of the building. The acquisition of further measurements was realized thanks to scaled archival photographs of the building, whose walls contained the 70 × 115 cm window frames. In AutoCAD, the outlines of the elements were applied to individual photographs, which could then be easily read.

The preserved windows were scanned using a third-generation iPad Pro equipped with the Scaniverse app, which allowed the creation of point clouds. Once the software was launched, the scan was performed by pointing the device’s lens at the scanned object and performing slow rotations to reach all necessary planes and refractions. To finalize the process, settings designed for small objects with a range of 0.8 m were used, and then the processing mode was started, which produced a three-dimensional digital image. The registration of the window image produced four point clouds (

Table 2. Acquired point clouds.

File	Given Name	Properties of the Point Cloud
Scaniverse.las	“Window 1”	Geometry: 112 K vertices, 207 K triangles, Size: 121.3 MB, Processing: Area mode, 8 K texture
Scaniverse 2023-12-02 131243.las	“Window 2”	Geometry: 72 K vertices, 132 K triangles, Size: 78.7 MB, Processing: Area mode, 8 K texture
Scaniverse 2023-12-02 132053.las	“Window 3”	Geometry: 231 K vertices, 417 K triangles, Size: 220.7 MB Processing: Area mode, 8 K texture
Scaniverse 2023-12-02 132712.las	“Window 4”	Geometry: 239 K vertices, 428 K triangles, Size: 267.5 MB, Processing: Area mode, 8 K texture

), which in the next step were saved in a .las extension and sent for further study.

The exported point clouds were then processed using Autodesk ReCap Pro. The software allowed the removal of redundant coordinates from the windows and their surroundings, which prevented the extraction of the exact shape of the window frame. This procedure allowed for a more accurate representation of the window details.

To reorganize the point set, at the very beginning the previously obtained point clouds had to be imported into the program (Figure 8). After loading the .las file and the scan-indexing step, the loaded point cloud was visible in the program. Then, using the program’s functionality, the process of removing useless points from the cloud began (Figure 9). After cleaning, the prepared window was uploaded to Revit and saved in a new file with the extension .rcp.

When creating a window family in Revit, Undet for Revit and Undet Indexer software were used to generate raster images from loaded point clouds. With these tools, it is possible to model objects in detail in the family builder from a collection of points and use templates not available during standard architectural design with the .rvt extension. The family templates available in Revit allowed precise mapping of elements for individual components and were crucial when modeling window elements.

Starting work on the window modeling, Undet Indexer software was used to convert the .rcp file extension to an .ipcp extension, enabling Undet’s features. When converting the extension, the first of four available project options was selected, designed to create raster images from point clouds of monuments, buildings and models inside buildings.

Thanks to the installation of the Undet plug-in, there is an “Undet” tab on the menu bar in Revit, which opens a wide range of new possibilities, allowing us to upload a converted .ipcp file into Revit. After navigating to the Undet tab, the “Add Slice” option was used, and the previously created .ipcp file was selected. After configuring the appropriate settings on the panel, the “Preview” option was used, which loaded the file into Revit, allowing the viewing and further editing of the project. To obtain a raster image from the uploaded .ipcp file, one had to select the object with a rectangular selection by holding down the right mouse button and then use the “Defined Area” function. The uploaded point cloud was modified by assigning it a different color scale (Figure 10).

The next step was to create three cross-sections through the obtained view, which enabled a thorough analysis and creation of raster images: the inner side of the window frame, the outer side of the window frame, and the window frame as seen from above. The resulting cross-sections allowed a thorough understanding of the structure and details of the object from different perspectives. After switching to the actual view and readjusting the resolution using Undet, raster images (Figure 11) were generated for each side.

Once the process of generating raster images for each window view was complete, the virtual reality modeling of the window proceeded. The process began by opening a new family file, where the metric template for the window components was selected as the base. The next step was to copy and paste the previously generated raster images into the template. This allowed the images to serve as a base and reference for further modeling.

4.2. Creating the HBIM Model

The creation of the individual elements of the “Koprówka” building became possible thanks to the knowledge of the dimensions of the window, scanned using LiDAR technology. The measurements obtained made it possible to appropriately scale the previously collected archival photographs, in which the building is visible, and obtain the dimensions of the other parts of the palace. The scaling of the photographs was carried out using the functionality of Concepts and AutoCAD, where, using dimensioning tools, the lengths of individual sections were checked and transferred to Revit.

Work on the HBIM model began with the creation of the foundations on which the building’s walls rest. In mapping the shape of the foundations, the most helpful source became “Sketch No. 6” (Figure 12) from the survey of the mortgage property, “Hilary Colony”, OPERAT-CEL-45/1960. On the drawing prepared by Eng. Tuliński, the ground floor of “Koprówka” was dimensioned, along with the surrounding infrastructure.

To draw the foundations, the first step was to create the walls. After the walls were created, the foundations were created. The wall that was used to map the “Digger” building had a thickness of 200 mm, while a load-bearing bench of 300 × 1080 mm was used to create the foundations. The individual levels of the building were then delineated in the form of six floors. When determining the height of the floors, AutoCAD was used to measure the required lengths.

The next step taken in creating the virtual model was to create four pillars, located in front of the entrance on the north side of the “Digger”. To create a parametric family of pillars, dimensions obtained from a photo scaled in the Concepts application were used. The extracted measurements made it possible to determine the exact height and width of the component, as well as its individual components.

The column was modeled as a conceptual solid. After drawing the appropriate shape, the solid form was created, and the family was loaded into the design file with the building (Figure 13).

The perimeters of the stairs leading to the “Koprówka” building were determined based on the building’s projections, as well as a sketch made by engineer Tulinski. The number of individual steps or the height of the flights was determined thanks to the photographic materials in our possession.

Measurements of a single post retained during the 2004 demolition of the building were used to create the railings. Based on the measurements, a profile was created so that the single posts supporting the railing were modeled (Figure 14).

Where the handrail did not run parallel to the ground and climbed along the stairs, the individual railing pieces had to be set up separately. To create such handrail fragments, it was necessary to create separate families for the objects that were created in the previous steps (Figure 15).

The windows, measuring 70 × 115 cm, were inserted into the walls of “Koprówka” on both the ground and second floors. There are seventeen in total. The dimensions of the remaining windows were obtained by measuring the shutters, taken from archival photos in AutoCAD (Figure 16).

Window frames made with the same tools as the 70 × 115 cm window are summarized in the table below (

Table 3. Rectangular windows of the “Koprówka”.

Window Dimensions [cm]	Number of Occurrences of the Window in the HBIM Model
57.5 × 124.3	38
70 × 89.5	4
89.5 × 124.3	8
70 × 172.5	1
70 × 57.5	3

).

In addition to rectangular windows, the “Koprówka” building also included oval-shaped windows (Figure 17). Subsequent window elements in the form of muntins and frames were modeled in the same way as the rectangular window elements.

The design also included oval windows, with the following dimensions (

Table 4. The oval windows of the “Koprówka”.

Window Dimensions [cm].	Number of Occurrences of the Window in the HBIM Model
32.5 × 90	2
48 × 70	1
35.7 × 58	5

):

There are also skylights on the roof of “Koprówka” (Figure 18). There are five in total—two of them are located on the north side of the building, and the other three are located on the palace’s turret. The skylights adorning the building’s turret are slightly smaller than those on the main slope of the roof, but their construction required the same tools.

The model also included six pairs of doors. Their dimensions, and the side of the building on which they were located, are listed in the table below (

Table 5. “Digger” door.

Door Dimensions [cm].	Door Location Side of the HBIM Model
113 × 180	north
113.7 × 188.3	north
126.7 × 260	south
165 × 267.4	west
87 × 107	west
113.8 × 187.5	southeast

).

The modeling of each of the six pairs of doors was started by creating a new family using a door template, and the shapes of the door jambs that can be seen in the photographs of the demolished building were created. Over the door located on the north side, a 70 × 115 cm window was placed, while in the door on the south side, a pane of glass was built (as in Figure 19). Two pairs of doors were located on the western walls of “Koprówka”. Neither one nor the other door were immortalized in any of the photographs. For the purposes of the work, only one photo was obtained, which shows the “Koprówka” from the west side. The location of the doorways on the west side of the building was proposed following a conversation with Celestynów residents, who confirmed that the doors were originally located in these places.

Work on the roof slope began by modeling the palace’s turret. A path was drawn in the form of wall edges, and then the profile of the turret was drawn (Figure 20).

The remainder of the “Digger” roof was created from eight different components (

Table 6. Elements of the roof of the “Koprówka”.

Given Name	Appearance of the Element
Element No. 1
Element No. 2
Element No. 3
Element No. 4
Element No. 5
Element No. 6
Element No. 7
Element No. 8

). Fragments were created from smaller 125 mm roof components.

The first element covers almost the entire first floor, and the slope of this part of the slope, which is 42°, was determined by measuring the angle from an archival photo showing the south side of the building (Figure 21).

The next two roof elements above the previously described section were created by opening a new concept solid file. The height of the elements of 2402.2 mm, as well as the angle of inclination, was selected based on the outlined contours of the building in the AutoCAD image.

To create these parts of the roof, to begin with, it was necessary to draw their outline and then create the form of the mass by marking the appropriate envelope. The resulting mass was drawn to the appropriate height, going to the elevation view. Then, a working plane was defined in the form of the lateral longer wall of the element, a 2D drawing made in AutoCAD was attached, and the curvature profile of the roof was drawn in. The drawn profile was combined into a closed object, and the unwanted section of the roof slope was cut out (Figure 22).

The same cutting operation was repeated for the other two walls for each of the two roof sections. The finished elements were loaded into Revit and positioned on the previously made roof section.

To create the fourth part, the same tools and functions were used as to model the previous two parts. The only difference in this case was the roof profile and the height of the part of 4299.3 mm.

Another, the fifth roof section, which intersects the fourth slope at right angles, was created by using the stretch function. For the specifics of this tool, one positioned oneself in front of the southern elevation and drew the roof profile (Figure 23), which, once approved, was stretched to the appropriate length.

In creating this part, however, a section of 1925.2 mm from the edge of the wall was omitted due to the characteristic shape of the roof slope at this location, which could not be created with the previously used tool. To create this unique form, two envelopes had to be drawn 1925.2 mm apart, which were then combined into a single object through what is known as profile fusion. The first envelope (red outline) was determined thanks to the shape marked on the AutoCAD drawing (Figure 24), while the second envelope (dark blue outline) had the same shape as the profile of the previously created roof.

The seventh slope and the exact form of this roof section were difficult to determine due to the lack of a photo that accurately shows this section of the roofing. The current model’s appearance was therefore designed to relate to the rest of the roof to ensure consistency throughout the structure. Its shape was adjusted based on photos in which this part of the roof is at least partially visible. The last, eighth, part of the roof was also created using so-called underdrawing.

The process of enriching the geometric model of the HBIM began with the addition of window bands, along with sills, around the windows. All the arrangements of rectangular window frames gained ornamentation, along with window cornices (Figure 25). The detailing around the elliptical windows was created in a similar manner with the process of modeling the windowsills omitted. At this point, it should be emphasized that the enrichment process can involve not only geometric data but also non-graphic data (materials, insulation properties, acoustics, etc.) [17].

Among the details on the building’s north elevation was an ornament, protruding from the wall plane. Its shape was accurately outlined using a red polyline in 61 AutoCAD (Figure 26) and then imported into a general wall-based template. With the accurate drawing, the shape of the ornament was created, giving it a width of 7 cm, then loaded into the building model file and placed in the target location.

Cornices play an important aesthetic and pragmatic role in historic buildings and heritage sites [18]. For the model, four different cornice profiles were also created to decorate the building (Figure 27).

The elements in the form of arches (Figure 28) located on the turret and on the elevation to the east were created by creating a component as generic models.

The roof of the “Digger” model was also decorated with two types of tile. The finished tile (Figure 29) was loaded into the project file, and then all the straight edges where the created tile was to be placed were covered with a beam.

Where the roof had undulating slants, it was necessary to load drawings created in AutoCAD, and then using screen shots from Revit, a beam was created (Figure 30), which was later loaded into the building file and attached to the edge of the roof. Individual tiles were laid in the same manner as for unbroken hunches. In the case of bending in multiple planes, the organic forms of the shapes can be obtained using visual programming [19] or generative design [20].

Assigning color to each building component was performed by creating new materials and assigning them to individual components. Some of the coverings were taken from Revit’s default materials and loaded into the project file. Other colors or cardboards were personalized in the material browser window by duplicating system materials. Assigning colors and materials to individual components in the project file was carried out by editing the family type and indicating the newly created type of covering.

Thanks to conversations with Celestynów residents, we were able to determine that originally the walls of “Koprówka” were covered with light blue paint. However, considering the current development of the area and the dominant color scheme of neighboring buildings, the walls of the 3D model were painted an even lighter shade of blue, which better harmonizes with the current development of the neighborhood. The finished 3D model was saved as an .rvt file along with four elevation views (Figure 31).

4.3. Three-Dimensional Visualization

Using data from the online portal Geoportal and the archival maps presented in the third chapter of this work, the original location of the building’s foundations was determined. Then, a section of the orthophotomap with the archival map containing the outline of the foundations of “Koprówka” was loaded into AutoCAD, and all the boundaries of the buildings and road infrastructure were vectorized. At this stage, a park in the form of Prof. Hilary Koprowski’s Children’s Smile Garden adjacent to the building (Figure 32) was also drawn in, the restoration of which was once one of the tasks of the “Koprówka” Association, which has been in existence since 2011 [21].

The Sports Hall building was also created in the BIM environment, considering the curvature of the building’s roof (Figure 33). The Twinmotion program was then used for the visualization. Thanks to the program’s functionality, elements in the form of vegetation or landscaping objects were added (Figure 34), which made it possible to create a photorealistic visualization of the “Koprówka” in its existing environment today (Figure 35).

The research work was completed with the 3D visualization, photorealistic animation and 3D printing of a 1:100 scale HBIM model (Figure 36), courtesy of Eng. Filip Zachman. The forms provide a visual assessment of the potential reconstruction. All the components of the building were printed using white-colored filament. The process began with the conversion of files with an extension of .rvt to .stl format, which is the standard file format for 3D printers [22]. The lump of the building was divided into two parts, which made it easier to print the individual components and connect them later. Each component was printed separately, which ensured a precise reproduction of the design details and enabled quality control at each stage of the process.

5. Discussion and Conclusions

The presented approach is part of the traditional HBIM workflow, which consists of five phases (model planning, data collection, geometric survey, subdivision structure and HBIM modeling), recursive and flexible to influence each other and adapt to the available information and the development of the work over time [23]. Combining a 3D point cloud with a BIM model increases the level of information [24], and 3D surveying (in this case of individual preserved building elements) is the starting point for modeling and validates the results [25]. Technologies in the form of BIM, HBIM and LiDAR make it possible to accurately reconstruct buildings that have disappeared from urban or rural spaces. Their integration is an extremely valuable tool in the process of reconstructing historical buildings. This is demonstrated by the virtual model of the Koprowski Family Villa, created as part of this thesis and set in the current urban context of Celestynów.

The results of the present work, contained in the completed HBIM model of “Koprówka”, can be used in the future by the architectural and construction team to rebuild the palace on Celestyn lands. Thanks to the dimensioning of building elements with the help of preserved components in the form of windows and balustrade posts, the model has the actual dimensions of the former mansion. The color scheme and texture of individual elements have also been preserved. The modeled structure has certain limitations that will shape the potential functional and spatial layout inside the building. Structural solutions should also be considered in the event of potential reconstruction.

The resulting 3D visualization makes it possible to imagine how the villa could re-emerge in its original location, blending harmoniously into the surrounding space. The generated views confirm that the reconstructed form of the building would not only not deviate stylistically from the character of the neighboring buildings but would also become an important point in the local landscape. In addition, the area around “Koprówka” could be developed in an interesting and functional way, enriching the panorama of Celestynów with new aesthetic and functional values. The graphics created are also a key element in the process of bringing the reconstruction of the building closer. This is because they allow one to see how the area could change after the project is implemented. Thanks to this visualization, it is possible to capture the future appearance of the space, which greatly facilitates the understanding of the impact of the reconstruction on the surroundings and allows for the better planning of development.