Anja WUTTE | Peter FERSCHIN | Georg SUTER
(Center for Geometry and Computational Design (GCD), Vienna, Austria)
Keywords: BIM, space model, architectural analysis, spatial analysis
Abstract:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capture, edit, store, reorganize and present spatial data of model buildings and are widely used at archaeological surveys and archaeological information processing, such as prediction modeling. The process of Building Information Modeling (BIM) additionally includes methods to create and analyze spatial structure and is therefore promising to study also historic buildings.
To evaluate BIM analysis methods in the context of archaeology, the funerary monument of Harwa was chosen as an experimental test bed. The Theban monument dates to the Twenty-fifth Egyptian dynasty and was built by a high official named Harwa (TT 37). It represents the earliest monument of the type of Late Period private complexes.
As an exemplary issue two hypothesis: „Tomb or Cenotaph“ were selected. An essential question was, if the building or usage concept of a tomb or cenotaph can be defined from an architectural point of view by expedient analyzing methods. Starting with a survey of existing structures of the Egyptian funerary monument, a generalized space model (BIM model) is derived from the surveyed data that was obtained by 3D scanning or photogrammetry. The next important step was the selection and development of architectural analysis methods that were applied to this space model as well as the hypothesis. This variety included: accessibility of rooms and closure systems, specific usage of space and analysis of circulation paths, lighting distribution concepts of direct, indirect or artificial light and analysis of spatial zones such as offering sites. The creation of a BIM model in combination with an interactive visualization of the antique structure additionally offered visible information about the visibility and accessibility of rooms, areas and decoration positions as well as the display of metadata obtained from analyzing the BIM model.
This exemplary defined generic approach of analyzing architectural properties should lead to computer supported analytical methods of buildings that can be applied for other sites, cultural domains and building types.