Adapting the Tool: A Historic Building Information Model (HBIM) of Senhora da Piedade da Caparica

Once a place of silence and solitary contemplation for a group of Franciscan friars known as
Capuchos, Nossa Senhora da Piedade da Caparica (1558) today is in a state of confusion about
the original configuration of its spaces. Following a major renovation project in the 1950s and
a lack of documentation throughout its life, the convent seeks to better understand its past and
its continued role within the municipality of Almada. Since no record drawings or descriptions
of the building exist prior to the renovation, an interdisciplinary, mixed-methodological
research approach was taken to generate a HBIM reconstruction of the convent. The HBIM will
serve as a record of the building’s modifications across time as well as an as-found record of
the building to date for use into the future.
This paper focuses on one aspect of this overall research project by presenting the modelling
methods used to overcome the limitations of BIM software (Revit 2020) for heritage. Since the
software was designed to facilitate the construction of new buildings, a high level of effort is
needed to adapt the tool to fit the irregularities and asymmetries of heritage. Focusing on the
ornate 17th century facade –subjected to years of weathering and renovation campaigns– along
with the entranceway and choir of the church, this paper addresses techniques for modelling a
range of conditions typical to those found in heritage in Portugal. The paper will address
methods for modelling irregular geometries such as wall deviations, arched ceilings,
inconstancies in wall profiles and methods for modelling custom window families from point
cloud data.