Hello Archinect Community,

My name is Buddhika Bandara, and I am an MSc student in Building Information Modelling at the University of the West of England. I am conducting research on HBIM Implementation Challenges in Adaptive Reuse Projects for Heritage Buildings in the UK.

My research focuses on understanding the practical challenges and limitations encountered in HBIM workflows, including data acquisition, model creation, information enrichment, and implementation stages. I aim to explore these issues through 45-minute semi-structured interviews with professionals who have experience working on heritage restoration, adaptive reuse, or preservation projects involving BIM.

I have been reaching out to organizations such as Historic England and the National Trust for Scotland and have received responses from a couple of professionals so far. However, I still urgently need more respondents to complete my interviews by 26th December so that I can finalize my qualitative analysis.

I understand this is a busy time of year, but if you or anyone in your network has experience in HBIM workflows or has worked on heritage buildings, your participation in my research would be incredibly valuable. The interview will be flexible, and I am happy to schedule it at your convenience.

My study is primarily UK-focused, but insights from international professionals with similar expertise are also welcome. Additionally, if you know someone with relevant experience, I would be extremely grateful if you could connect me to them.

For reference, I have included my interview questions below so that potential respondents can understand what the discussion will entail. Your time and expertise would make a significant contribution to my research and could help advance HBIM practices in adaptive reuse projects.

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 Interview Questions

1. Experience Verification: Can you describe your involvement and past experience with HBIM technologies in adaptive reuse projects for heritage buildings? Could you provide an example of a specific project and your role within it?
2. Challenges in HBIM Implementation: What are the primary challenges you have encountered during the implementation of HBIM in adaptive reuse projects, and how have these challenges impacted the overall project outcomes?
3. Collaboration and Stakeholder Integration: How do you perceive the collaboration among professionals from different disciplines during HBIM workflows in adaptive reuse projects? What barriers or opportunities have you observed in achieving effective collaboration?
4. Technical and Technological Issues: In your experience, what technical or technological issues arise during the HBIM process in adaptive reuse projects? How do these issues influence project timelines, costs, or outcomes?
5. Data Accuracy and Quality Control: What challenges have you faced in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of data during HBIM processes, particularly when working with heritage structures?
6. Balancing Conservation and Modern Adaptation: From your perspective, how does HBIM facilitate or complicate the balance between preserving historical authenticity and meeting modern functional requirements in adaptive reuse projects?
7. Knowledge and Skills Gaps: Have you observed any knowledge or skills gaps among professionals involved in HBIM workflows? How do these gaps affect the implementation process, and what solutions do you think could address them?
8. Software and Tools: How well do the current software tools and technologies used in HBIM workflows meet the specific requirements of adaptive reuse projects? Are there any limitations or features you feel are missing?
9. Sustainability and Performance Considerations: How has HBIM contributed to addressing sustainability or performance-related aspects (e.g., energy efficiency, structural integrity) in adaptive reuse projects, and what challenges remain?
10. Future Opportunities and Recommendations: Based on your experience, what improvements, innovations, or changes would you recommend for the future use of HBIM in adaptive reuse projects for heritage buildings?   

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Please feel free to reply to this thread, message me directly, or contact me via email at Weliweriya2.Weliweriyaliyanagebu@live.uwe.ac.uk.

Thank you so much for considering this request and for your time. I hope my research will provide valuable insights for the industry and academia alike.

Kind regards,
Buddhika Bandara
MSc Student in Building Information Modelling University of the West of England