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Buildings
Special Issues
New Technologies for the Preservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings
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New Technologies for the Preservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2026 | Viewed by 998

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesco Di Paola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: H-BIM; architectural geometry; algorithms aided design and survey; cultural heritage VR/AR fruition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Federica Fernandez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: ecodesign; biophilic design; innovative technologies; biobased materials; nanotechnologies; comfort indoor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New technologies are transforming the field of historic building conservation and restoration, offering advanced tools for the preservation of architectural heritage in a sustainable manner that respects original integrity. Digital techniques, such as 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry, enable the creation of high-precision models for monitoring and planning interventions, integrating historical and structural data for more efficient restoration management (H-BIM). Innovative materials, such as biocomposites and eco-friendly mortars, ensure more durable and less invasive interventions (Green BIM). Nanotechnology, on the other hand, offers advanced solutions for surface consolidation and weathering protection. IoT sensing and artificial intelligence are revolutionising building management, detecting structural and environmental changes in real time to monitor and prevent future damage. Augmented reality and 3D printing can enable the reconstruction of missing parts with extreme fidelity and support operator training. This Special Issue aims to bring together studies, research, and concrete applications of new technologies, promoting an interdisciplinary dialogue to innovate the conservation of our historic heritage.

Dr. Francesco Di Paola
Dr. Federica Fernandez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital twin
  • eco-friendly mortars
  • nanotechnology
  • IoT sensing
  • artificial intelligence
  • augmented reality
  • 3D printing

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

37 pages, 3460 KB  
Article
Immersive Technologies in Built Heritage Spaces: Understanding Tourists’ Continuance Intention Toward Sustainable AR and VR Applications at the Terracotta Warriors Museum
by Yage Lu, Gaofeng Mi, Honglei Lu and Yuan Wang
Buildings 2025, 15(19), 3481; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15193481 - 26 Sep 2025
Viewed by 694
Abstract
As sustainable tourism practices gain traction globally, immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have emerged as effective tools to enrich visitor experiences while supporting heritage site preservation. Particularly within built cultural environments, these technologies facilitate non-invasive interpretation of [...] Read more.
As sustainable tourism practices gain traction globally, immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have emerged as effective tools to enrich visitor experiences while supporting heritage site preservation. Particularly within built cultural environments, these technologies facilitate non-invasive interpretation of architectural spaces, enabling sustainable interaction with fragile historical structures. Despite growing scholarly attention, existing research has primarily focused on the pre-adoption phase or the technical affordances of AR/VR, with limited understanding of user behavior in the post-adoption phase. To address this gap, this study integrates the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) with the experiential attributes of AR/VR-enabled heritage applications, proposing an integrated theoretical model to identify key determinants of tourists’ continuance intention. Based on 434 valid survey responses collected at the Terracotta Warriors Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), the results reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, satisfaction, and confirmation directly influence continuance intention, while visual appeal, entertainment, enjoyment, interactivity and confirmation exert indirect effects through mediating mechanisms. The findings contribute theoretically by extending ECM to the heritage tourism domain and empirically by providing robust evidence from a high-profile non-Western site. Practically, this study offers actionable implications for designing immersive experiences that enhance post-visit continuance intention and align with broader sustainability objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technologies for the Preservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings)
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