sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Recent Advances in Historic Building Information Modeling and Sustainable Building

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Tourism, Culture, and Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 646

Special Issue Editors

1. Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment (DECivil), 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
2. Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: digital technologies; HBIM; laser scanning; photogrammetry; built heritage—tangible and intangible values

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
Interests: HBIM; laser scanning; photogrammetry; digital humanities; history and theory of architecture

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC P.O. Box 6128, Canada
Interests: HBIM; heritage digital documentation; digital humanities and cartography; urban conservation; conservation theory; historic construction and craftsmanship

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of HBIM emerged at the beginning of the 21st century, and throughout this quarter of a century it has established itself as an area of research in its own right, decisive in the defense of values, memory, identity, conservation and the dissemination of built cultural heritage. The divergent evolution of BIM methodology/technology, through its application to the scope of historic buildings, has revealed new and specific challenges. Its contemporaneity with the concept of digital cultural heritage, coined by UNESCO in 2003, as well as with the charter of intangible cultural heritage, is significant. It is not possible to disentangle the drivers of change leading the current paradigm of heritage as understood in its tangible and intangible dimensions. The HBIM concept itself has undergone mutations, and although the terms historic and heritage are currently used interchangeably, the meaning of this H has been expanded and adapted to new perspectives and concerns about the defense and sustainability of heritage.

The Special Issue on Recent Advances in Historic Building Information Modeling and Sustainable Building seeks multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary contributions that highlight the most recent advances in applications of BIM to the field of heritage, in its multi-faced aspects and, in particular, the challenges that arise with heritage sustainability.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Digital reconstructions—digital twins, models as databases, challenges and innovations.
  • Accessibility: how can knowledge gathered in models be shared by non-experts, publics, owners and heritage managers?
  • Process improvements—how can the current restrictions of BIM technology be adapted to the specificities and needs of heritage modeling?
  • Hybrid workflows—case studies of integration of BIM with other digital technologies.
  • Standards for HBIM—the adequacy of current BIM standards to the digital representation of heritage.
  • Sustainability—HBIM contributions to the sustainability of heritage and the environment.
  • HBIM models as research tools—case studies on how HBIM processes can be used to deepen the knowledge of heritage.
  • Learning methods for HBIM—experiences, results and visions for the future.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ana Tomé
Dr. Jesse Rafeiro
Dr. Miquel Reina Ortiz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • HBIM
  • digital reconstructions
  • accessibility
  • process improvements
  • hybrid workflows
  • BIM standards for heritage
  • heritage and environment sustainability
  • research tools
  • learning methods

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 1914 KB  
Article
Digital Technologies for Sustainable Management of Visitor Carrying Capacity in Heritage Enclosed/Confined Spaces
by María José Viñals, Penélope Teruel-Recio, Karim Smaha and José Manuel Gandía-Romero
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10534; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310534 - 24 Nov 2025
Viewed by 231
Abstract
Cultural tourism has become an increasingly significant phenomenon in urban areas, especially in cities rich in heritage sites. However, when the number of visitors exceeds sustainable capacity thresholds, both the physical and psychological comfort and safety of individuals may be compromised. A higher [...] Read more.
Cultural tourism has become an increasingly significant phenomenon in urban areas, especially in cities rich in heritage sites. However, when the number of visitors exceeds sustainable capacity thresholds, both the physical and psychological comfort and safety of individuals may be compromised. A higher number of visitors inside historic buildings leads to elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), particularly in poorly ventilated enclosed or confined spaces, primarily as a result of human respiration. Such conditions not only accelerate the deterioration processes affecting heritage materials but also introduce potential health risks for visitors. Parameters such as CO2 concentration, indoor air temperature, and relative humidity represent key measurable parameters for assessing environmental Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) within heritage buildings. Digital real-time monitoring of these parameters plays a crucial role in preventive heritage conservation, sustainable site management, and in ensuring visitors’ comfort and well-being. This paper presents a procedure and methodology that use digital technological tools to efficiently estimate and monitor the Visitor Carrying Capacity (VCC) of enclosed/confined heritage spaces, especially Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) and Sensor Technology. These kinds of spaces require particular attention due to their spatial characteristics. In order to do so, it is necessary to know the geometry of the site, and to consider IAQ conditions. This study also considers the number of People at One Time (PAOT) and Visitor Occupancy (VO). The results focus on the procedural development of the analysis and emphasise the role of digital tools not only due to their efficiency and accuracy in spatial analysis for estimating VCC, but especially for the real-time monitoring of visitors and surveying specific environmental parameters. The experimental phase of this study uses the Chapel of the Holy Chalice of the Valencia Cathedral (Spain) as a pilot case. Monitoring this space reveals how quickly high CO2 levels are reached with continuous visitor presence, and how long it takes for them to decay in absence of people and under passive ventilation conditions. The outcome of this research is a detailed methodological framework designed to assess and monitor Visitor Carrying Capacity (VCC) in enclosed/confined heritage sites by integrating digital technologies, thereby enhancing sustainable management, planning and decision-making processes. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop