Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) as a Lifecycle Management Platform for Heritage Buildings: From Documentation to Sustainable Rehabilitation (An Applied Case Study on Taq Kasra (Iwan of Ctesiphon), Al-Mada'in, Baghdad)

Abstract

Heritage buildings such as Taq Kasra (Iwan of Ctesiphon) face an increasing risk of undocumented structural deterioration in the absence of an accurate digital record of their current condition, a gap made more acute by irregular architectural features that conventional Building Information Modeling (BIM) platforms cannot readily represent. This study develops a theoretical and applied framework for Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) as a digital pathway for documenting Taq Kasra and supporting decisions across its lifecycle. A descriptive-analytical review of HBIM concepts and workflows was combined with a case-study application comprising four sequential stages: laser and photogrammetric capture, point-cloud processing, parametric-element construction, and metadata linking. The framework was evaluated through an illustrative crack-detection pipeline based on the Canny edge-detection algorithm and a weighted, quantitative SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. Results indicate that generic edge detection alone cannot reliably distinguish genuine cracks from masonry joints, and that the project's strategic position falls within a growth-oriented (SO) quadrant, with positive internal (+0.25) and external (+0.15) margins. The study concludes that HBIM adoption for Iraqi heritage buildings requires dedicated parametric-element libraries not currently available in commercial software, and recommends establishing a digital-documentation unit and prioritizing laser scanning of the site as part of a national heritage-preservation strategy.