Research hotspots and trends in heritage building information modeling: A review based on CiteSpace analysis

Abstract

AbstractThe year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Heritage building information modeling (HBIM), which is a digital method of conserving architectural heritage, has recently received a great deal of attention from researchers, planners, and policy-makers in related fields around the world. However, there is not yet a complete analysis of the hot spots and trends in this area of research, nor has a complete workflow based on the practical application of HBIM been developed. In this article, we analyzed the research progress, hot spots, and trends in HBIM since 2010. We used the CiteSpace scientometric analysis tool to analyze 372 documents with high relevance to HBIM from the Web of Science core database using literature co-citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, cluster analysis, and keyword emergence detection. The findings show that research in the field of HBIM was still in the conceptualization stage during 2010–2017, and with the continuous development of various technologies, attention to HBIM has gradually accelerated since 2017 by expanding its uses to multidisciplinary fields such as artificial intelligence. In the cluster analysis of literature co-citations, 14 clusters were generated, and four clusters, semiautomatic 3D modeling, heritage information system, pilot study, and virtual reality, which have high rates of citation, are discussed in this paper. These clusters reflect the hot spots and frontiers of research in HBIM to a certain extent. In the “Discussion” section, a systematic and complete workflow of HBIM application to heritage architecture is proposed for three levels: modeling, data exchange, and auxiliary management. On this basis, the development of the field of heritage building conservation and sustainable development is analyzed to provide valuable theoretical and practical references to propose future research directions.