Articles by Luciano Cessari

The architectural survey for the restoration of a monument is closely linked to the conservation objectives, the research methodology, and the application of multiple direct an indirect investigation techniques for the construction of adequate geometric and informative models. In particular, the paper aims to understand and evaluate a building from its structural characteristics, developing a methodology that, from the geomatic survey, deconstructs the building itself into elements and articulates them in a HBIM platform, which integrates a set of five semantic models representing the architectural components and construction abaci. The approach applies this survey method and modelling workflow to the study of some post-Byzantine monasteries in Albania with a focus on the structural conditions of the church of S. Maria in Goranxi that presents problems of instability due to phases of expansion and over construction.

Analysis and geometric measurement represent the main diagnostic tool to define the state of conservation of historic buildings and to plan their restoration. In the case of complex structures, the accurate monitoring and survey of the morphology aid in understanding the static situation in relation to the original design and materials used. This information is fundamental for the generation of virtual models and for simulating the evolution of deviations. This paper presents the results of a survey of two Islamic domes in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) which suffer from serious static problems. The integration of the different methods of survey performed with laser distantiometers, traditional geodetic instruments and digital photogrammetric techniques has been found to be vital in order to accurately reproduce the geometrical pattern of these structures. We obtained dimensional and geometrical measurements of the thickness of the walls, the morphologic defects, the variations of the axes and of the supporting surface of the domes. All of the geometric data, obtained in continuous form, was then used for the digital reconstruction and 3D simulation of the domes.