Historical Building INformation Modeling (HBIM) - the reverse engineering solution that creates accurate 3d models of existing historic structures.

Occupancy Type: Assembly Group A-3

Area: N/A

Project Type: Individual (3rd Year)

Task: To create a digital 3D model of the St. George's Anglican Church using a Point Cloud, recreating the floor plans and elevations, as well as structural elements - trusses, beams, columns, doors, windows and more.

Accomplishment(s):

• Importing and using a Point Cloud 

• Recreating and 3D printing different structural elements of the Church

HBIM is essential in this project since it allowed me to accurately reconstruct a real heritage building using real digital data. This project has helped relate to real-world dimensions and proportions, especially with complex features like the arches, columns, and trusses. This project has helped create an understanding in how the building was constructed, not only how it looks. 

HBIM has become widely used in architecture due to recent implementations of AI. Having experience in HBIM is a specifically specialized skill for heritage, renovation and adaptive reuse projects. Many cities, like Toronto, focus on restoring and reusing historic buildings, making HBIM a valuable asset. This project has helped demonstrate my critical thinking skills, not just desigining, but analyzing and reconstructing existing structures. 

One of the main challenges in this project was accurately modeling the roof trusses, which required careful interpretation of the point cloud to understand their structural geometry and arrangement. Due to their complexity, maintaining consistency while ensuring precision was a demanding process. In addition, each window required detailed tracing, as each individual glass panes and framing elements had to be modeled precisely. It was time-intensive, but essential to capture the character of the church. 

These challenges have strengthened my ability to work with complex geometries, overall improving my attention to detail. It has enhanced my understanding of how architectural elements are constructed within an HBIM setting.