HBIM technologies demonstrate increased potential in managing existing built heritage, leading to improved building lifecycle engineering. However, applying HBIM protocols to Cultural Heritage, particularly museum assets, represents an outstanding question. The study provides the findings of a research project conducted at the Galleria Borghese Museum to implement a geometric and informative BIM-based digital environment for museum management, as well as preventive and predictive maintenance. Furthermore, the study examines—referring to the debate over the widespread application of integrated digital technologies to cultural heritage management—the opportunities and challenges associated with digitization processes towards the implementation of Digital Twin (DT) (Vuoto in Int. J. Arch. Herit. 18(11), 1762–1795, 2024) and Digital Cultural Objects (DCO), as well as the transferability of the study’s findings. The Galleria Borghese Museum provides scholars with the opportunity to examine architecture and artworks integrated into spaces of both permanent and temporary exhibitions, multidisciplinary study areas, restoration spaces for art and architecture, and environments conceived for the valorization, communication, and participation of a large public of experts and non-experts.
Semantic Integration of BIM Model with Existing Asset Databases and IoT Data for Public Administrations
Today, information exchange in the AECO industry at different stages of the construction process is typically done through file transfers in heterogeneous formats, with limited communication between parties. This leads to potential data management issues such as redundancy and write errors. While efforts to standardize data exchange date back to the 1990s with formats such as STEP and IFC, the challenge of interoperability remains. That is why it is important to establish integrated management systems and interoperable cloud-based technologies. The rise of open semantic standards by W3C and other organizations in recent decades has been significant, but a cohesive link between different ontologies is needed to realize Digital Twin technology, which represents the lifecycle of a building, not just the design phase. An introduction to the concepts and standards of Semantic Web technologies and their possible applications to the construction sector in the different phases of an asset’s life cycle is proposed. In particular, the paper addresses the management of existing assets by public administrations, focusing on the creation of an infrastructure that links existing traditional databases, BIM models, and dynamic data collected by IoT devices. This will be done using standards such as RDF, OWL, and SPARQL. The research is part of an ongoing NRP project called “BIM2DT. BIM-to-Digital Twin: Information Management to Support Decision-making in the Building Life Cycle”.
Artificial Creativity. Design Evolution in the Age of AI
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), in combination with the ubiquity of digital sensors, computer networks, and automation that has characterised the last decade, is transforming the socio-economic environment and defining a probable new industrial era. This evolution also inevitably involves the world of Design by redefining the designer’s role, the object of design, and user relationships. Many of today’s artefacts, whether an iPhone application, a car, or a building, are increasingly connected to the designer who conceived them, thanks to a continuous flow of data detailing many aspects of the user experience. This same information can be used to train AI neural networks capable of autonomously generating specific solutions without human intermediation. An artificial intelligence engine can thus anticipate users’ needs and behaviours, proposing solutions that are improved and customised according to the particular use that distinguishes each customer. This paradigm shift has important implications for the role of the designer. Through the analysis of pioneering case studies, this paper analyses the possible developments, delving into the repercussions for design theory and practice concerning the theoretical framework used today to interpret the discipline of Design.
The Artifice Among Languages: Automating Geometric Processes Through AI
This paper explores the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in design and geometric analysis processes in the CAD environment, with reference to Descriptive Geometry. Although the use of AI in academia is constantly growing, the implementation of artificial intelligence tools for solving geometric problems remains limited. In this context, this research proposes an experimental approach to automate the creation and manipulation of NURBS geometric entities, focusing on the ellipse as a case study. This document details the process of converting curves generated by the ‘Archimedes Compass’ in a 3D space into NURBS ellipses. The conversion is achieved through programming in Python and facilitated by ChatGPT. The analysis shows how the mathematical exactness typical of NURBS may not always be compatible with the requirements of certain geometric procedures, making integration with dedicated algorithms and AI tools necessary. In a broader perspective, the work shows the potential of textual programming and AI in simplifying and generalising complex processes, enabling new levels of precision and flexibility in virtual modelling. Finally, the results obtained and possible future perspectives in different areas of drawing and geometric representation are discussed.
The New A.I.: Gaining Control Over the Noise
The paper investigates the evolution of AI-assisted architectural representation from early unpredictable text-to-image generation systems toward more controlled and precise workflows based on Stable Diffusion, ControlNet, and LookX AI. The research analyzes the role of latent spaces, diffusion models, GANs, convolutional neural networks, and AI rendering systems in architectural visualization, emphasizing the transition from exploratory AI image production to controllable design-oriented generation. Through experimental workflows combining Rhinoceros 3D models, ControlNet preprocessors, segmentation maps, depth maps, edge detection, and prompt engineering, the study evaluates how AI systems can support architectural rendering, stylistic control, spatial coherence, and atmosphere generation. The paper compares open-source and cloud-based AI platforms, discussing the balance between creativity, predictability, customization, and architectural precision in contemporary AI-assisted design workflows.
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? Comparative Evaluation of Generative AI for Drawing and Representation
The paper presents a comparative evaluation of generative AI systems for drawing and architectural representation, focusing on the operational principles, workflows, and visual outputs of text-to-image applications such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL-E 2. The research analyzes neural networks, latent space mechanisms, generative adversarial networks, autoregressive models, and diffusion probabilistic models to explain how AI systems transform textual prompts into visual representations. Through experimental prompt engineering and comparative image generation tests, the study investigates the relationship between AI-assisted creativity, visual storytelling, representation processes, and design workflows. The paper critically discusses the implications of generative AI for architecture and visual culture, including authorship, ethics, copyright, bias, realism, and the transformation of creative practices. The research ultimately proposes an informed and critical approach to AI-assisted representation, emphasizing the evolving role of designers as curators and strategic decision-makers within AI-driven creative environments.
Maker Architecture: Learning by Fabricating in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The paper investigates the concept of “Maker Architecture” as an educational, research, and professional paradigm based on learning through fabrication within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through a comparative analysis of international case studies, the research explores how digital fabrication, parametric design, robotic manufacturing, Fab Labs, collaborative platforms, and maker culture are transforming architectural pedagogy and production. The study examines full-scale prototyping, computational workflows, CNC manufacturing, open-source collaboration, and interdisciplinary experimentation as core components of a new constructionist learning model. The paper ultimately defines the theoretical and methodological characteristics of Maker Architecture, including scientific experimentation, computational design, connectivity, collaboration, customization, circularity, and component-based construction.
Imagining Roman Port Cities: From Iconographic Evidence to 3D Reconstruction
This paper investigates how ancient iconographic evidence can support the digital reconstruction of Roman Mediterranean port cities whose waterfront architectures are now largely lost or fragmentary. The study combines archaeological data, historical texts, and a corpus of more than 260 ancient visual sources—including frescoes, mosaics, coins, reliefs, engraved stones, and glass flasks—to identify recurring symbols, urban forms, and architectural typologies associated with Roman ports. Rather than treating images as literal depictions, the authors interpret them critically as coded representations that can still reveal elevations, monuments, warehouses, piers, and scenographic waterfront compositions absent from surviving remains. To translate this knowledge into spatial hypotheses, the research employs parametric and generative modelling tools capable of producing multi-scale urban simulacra and testing alternative reconstructions. User-friendly modelling interfaces are developed to enable archaeologists to directly manipulate hypotheses without relying exclusively on technical specialists. The project demonstrates how procedural 3D environments can become analytical instruments for understanding vanished port landscapes, urban morphology, and the role of harbours in the Roman imperial world.