OPEN SOURCE HBIM FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE: A PROJECT PROPOSAL

Actual technologies are changing Cultural Heritage research, analysis, conservation and development ways, allowing new innovative approaches. The possibility of integrating Cultural Heritage data, like archaeological information, inside a three-dimensional environment system (like a Building Information Modelling) involve huge benefits for its management, monitoring and valorisation. Nowadays there are many commercial BIM solutions. However, these tools are thought and developed mostly for architecture design or technical installations. An example of better solution could be a dynamic and open platform that might consider Cultural Heritage needs as priority. Suitable solution for better and complete data usability and accessibility could be guaranteed by open source protocols. This choice would allow adapting software to Cultural Heritage needs and not the opposite, thus avoiding methodological stretches. This work will focus exactly on analysis and experimentations about specific characteristics of these kind of open source software (DBMS, CAD, Servers) applied to a Cultural Heritage example, in order to verifying their flexibility, reliability and then creating a dynamic HBIM open source prototype. Indeed, it might be a starting point for a future creation of a complete HBIM open source solution that we could adapt to others Cultural Heritage researches and analysis

Propuesta de Diseño de Rutas Turístico-Culturales mediante el Empleo de SIG: Un Caso Aplicado

Cultural tourism routes and itineraries are tourism promotion tools that have under-gone a remarkable development in recent years, thanks to their ability to enhance the value of cultural heritage. In this sense, national and international organizations as well as private initiatives have designed tourist routes that cover a wide range of topics, while cultural itineraries have been recognized at the institutional level by organizations such as ICOMOS or the Council of Europe. The main objective of this article is to offer a proposal for the design of cultural tourist routes through the use of a geographic information system. To achieve this goal, we start from a brief theoretical framework in which the tourist use of geographic information systems and the conceptualization of tourist routes and their differences with itineraries are analyzed. Subsequently, the methodology used consists of two distinct phases. Initially, a quantitative study is carried out in which data on the late medieval heritage are collected and subsequently, through the use of a GIS, an index of tourist potentiality is carried out and the creation of a tourist route in the province of Cadiz (Spain). In this way the results obtained justify the route designed and the choice of municipalities, based on their greater availability of tourism resources (accessibility, hospitality etc.) and cultural (historical assets

Documenting cultural heritage in an INSPIRE-based 3D GIS for risk and vulnerability analysis

Purpose: The study, within the Increasing Resilience of Cultural Heritage (ResCult) project, aims to support civil protection to prevent, lessen and mitigate disasters impacts on cultural heritage using a unique standardised-3D geographical information system (GIS), including both heritage and risk and hazard information. Design/methodology/approach: A top-down approach, starting from existing standards (an INSPIRE extension integrated with other parts from the standardised and shared structure), was completed with a bottom-up integration according to current requirements for disaster prevention procedures and risk analyses. The results were validated and tested in case studies (differentiated concerning the hazard and type of protected heritage) and refined during user forums. Findings: Besides the ensuing reusable database structure, the filling with case studies data underlined the tough challenges and allowed proposing a sample of workflows and possible guidelines. The interfaces are provided to use the obtained knowledge base. Originality/value: The increasing number of natural disasters could severely damage the cultural heritage, causing permanent damage to movable and immovable assets and tangible and intangible heritage. The study provides an original tool properly relating the (spatial) information regarding cultural heritage and the risk factors in a unique archive as a standard-based European tool to cope with these frequent losses, preventing risk

Documenting cultural heritage in an INSPIRE-based 3D GIS for risk and vulnerability analysis

Purpose The study, within the Increasing Resilience of Cultural Heritage (ResCult) project, aims to support civil protection to prevent, lessen and mitigate disasters impacts on cultural heritage using a unique standardised-3D geographical information system (GIS), including both heritage and risk and hazard information. Design/methodology/approach A top-down approach, starting from existing standards (an INSPIRE extension integrated with other parts from the standardised and shared structure), was completed with a bottom-up integration according to current requirements for disaster prevention procedures and risk analyses. The results were validated and tested in case studies (differentiated concerning the hazard and type of protected heritage) and refined during user forums. Findings Besides the ensuing reusable database structure, the filling with case studies data underlined the tough challenges and allowed proposing a sample of workflows and possible guidelines. The interfaces are provided to use the obtained knowledge base. Originality/value The increasing number of natural disasters could severely damage the cultural heritage, causing permanent damage to movable and immovable assets and tangible and intangible heritage. The study provides an original tool properly relating the (spatial) information regarding cultural heritage and the risk factors in a unique archive as a standard-based European tool to cope with these frequent losses, preventing risk

The importance of infographics and graphic brand in the mediatisation of Natural and Cultural Heritage

An attractive Heritage presentation is known to be crucial for the successful mediatisation of Natural and Cultural Heritage. New infographic technologies and audiovisual languages can accomplish this by communicating complex processes into simple, understandable information, thus providing a high-quality cultural experience to visitors. Defining a strong graphic mark helps to uniformise these processes, allowing a connection to be made between communication materials and local signage. Heritage signage such as wayfinding systems should additionally convey a strong message that reinforces a local’s cultural brand. This study highlights the importance of infographics and graphic identity in the interpretation, presentation and dissemination of Natural and Cultural Heritage, and in prompting visitors to direct their attention more closely to the singularities and distinct Heritage aspects of a place. Here, we analyse the role of the Designer as an information and communication catalyst and in disseminating and preserving the memory of different Heritage specificities through the graphic objects he/she produces. We also assess how graphic brand and infographics contribute to better structuring, clarifying and “visualizing” information, and emphasize how this is critical to the understanding of all aspects of a patrimonial destination. Through a theoretical reflection and presentation of case studies, e.g. the work of Frida Larios, Peter Grundy or Anyforms, or the Downtown Brooklyn wayfinding system, we strengthen guidelines that we think are determinant for the way Heritage is perceived and informed to the public, further improving systems and processes used for integrating graphic identity and infographics into communication materials.CIAUD - Centro de Investigação em Arquitetura, Urbanismo e Design - Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisbo

Integrating User-Centered Design with the Agile Software Development Methodology for a Cultural Heritage Information System

This paper reports on the findings of a user study on the design ideasfor the Sarawak Digital Cultural Heritage Progressive Web App (PWA). Thestudy elucidates the integration of User-Centered Design (UCD) in the Agile software development methodology. Five users were instructed to map their ideas on how they envisioned the application and the features it would have based on a brief description of the system as a one-stop center cultural heritage information for the general public in Sarawak while encouraging conservation and preservation of material culture. The study found that users prefer a simple and pleasing design with an emphasis on visual representation, and a straight forward and intuitive navigation to minimize cognitive load, Further study should explore the effectiveness of the integration of UCD for the Cultural Heritage Information System from the design stage to the evaluation stage

Access to Digital Cultural Heritage: Innovative Applications of Automated Metadata Generation Chapter 1: Digitization of Cultural Heritage – Standards, Institutions, Initiatives

The first chapter "Digitization of Cultural Heritage – Standards, Institutions, Initiatives" provides an introduction to the area of digitisation. The main pillars of process of creating, preserving and accessing of cultural heritage in digital space are observed. The importance of metadata in the process of accessing to information is outlined. The metadata schemas and standards used in cultural heritage are discussed. In order to reach digital objects in virtual space they are organized in digital libraries. Contemporary digital libraries are trying to deliver richer and better functionality, which usually is user oriented and depending on current IT trend. Additionally, the chapter is focused on some initiatives on world and European level that during the years enforce the process of digitization and organizing digital objects in the cultural heritage domain. In recent years, the main focus in the creation of digital resources shifts from "system-centred" to "user-centred" since most of the issues around this content are related to making it accessible and usable for the real users. So, the user studies and involving the users on early stages of design and planning the functionality of the product which is being developed stands on leading position

The state of digital heritage resources management in Ghana

In this paper, we discuss the state of digital heritage resources management in Ghana. The paper is based on a PhD research that explored contextual factors that were either enabling or hindering the management and preservation of digital cultural heritage resources in Ghana. The research employed an interpretive case research design. Data was drawn through semi-structured interviews with 27 key stakeholders from 23 institutions in Ghana. The term Digital Preservation Management (DPM) was used to refer to all the procedures, technologies, information infrastructure and processes involved in the general state of digital cultural heritage resources management and preservation in Ghana. Four main clusters of contextual factors; attitudinal-related, resources-related, policy-related, and management-related factors were found to be influencing DPM in Ghana. Although the DPM innovation was not fully diffused in Ghana, related activities occurring at the base, middle and higher levels of the Ghanaian Social System were inadvertently fostering the adoption process. In addition to the study contributing to theoretical understandings in information systems research in a developing country context, it provides policy developers in Ghana and related countries in African with an empirical base for accelerating DPM adoption

Designing a Comprehensive Information System for Safeguarding the Cultural Heritage: Need for Adopting Architectural Models and Quality Standards

The cultural heritage of any region is an integral part of the life of the people there irrespective of their community, caste, religion, and the social and economic status. As man continues his journey forward from the position at which his forefathers left him conservation of heritage assets, especially knowledge embedded in them, is essential for future generations and sustainable development. The study discusses the need for developing and managing a comprehensive information system that can preserve, conserve and retrieve the knowledge related to heritage assets in a single platform. The requirement of adopting internationally accepted guidelines, policies, methods, and standards and practices for managing heritage information is important and it has economic, legal, and technological concerns. The paper emphasizes necessity of adopting suitable architectural models and quality standards to design information systems to safeguard cultural heritage assets

Development of a decision support system framework for cultural heritage management

Decision support systems (DSSs) have been traditionally identified as useful information technology tools in a variety of fields, including the context of cultural heritage. However, to the best of our knowledge, no prior study has developed a DSS framework that incorporates all the main decision areas simultaneously in the context of cultural heritage. We fill this gap by focusing on design-science research and specifically by developing a DSS framework whose features support all the main decision areas for the sustainable management of cultural assets in a comprehensive manner. The main decision-making areas considered in our study encompass demand manage-ment, segmentation and communication, pricing, space management, and services management. For these areas, we select appropriate decision-making supporting techniques and data management solutions. The development of our framework, in the form of a web-based system, results in an architectural solution that is able to satisfy critical requirements such as ease of use and response time. We present an application of the innovative DSS framework to a museum and discuss the main managerial implications and future improvements