BIM-based information management processes for cultural heritage and digital maturity in Public Administration: a case history.

The introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in public contracts in Italy has been a key driver of digitalisation in the construction sector in recent years. The new Public Contracts Code (Legislative Decree 36/2023) outlines a regulatory framework that makes the adoption of digital methods and tools mandatory in the design, construction and management of public works. In this context, the use of information modelling applied to cultural heritage (Heritage-BIM) is one of the most complex challenges for all those involved in the conservation, restoration and maintenance of historical and architectural heritage, as it often requires overcoming established practices for collecting and processing data and information, characterised by limited levels of computability and interoperability, which are poorly compatible with the more efficient BIM-based information exchange flows. This paper analyses the link between BIM-based information management of cultural heritage and the digital maturity of public administration, highlighting current critical issues and possible lines of development for a more aware clientele capable of effectively guiding digital processes while respecting the complexity and value of historical architecture. A case history is presented, concerning the multidisciplinary as-built information modelling of the Vasari Corridor in Florence, during the restoration of the monumental complex, as part of a third mission commissioned to the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence by the contractor. The BIM-based information management developed in the case study was then investigated through a SWOT analysis based on the scenarios proposed in the technical report UNI/TR 11337-2 (2021), concerning the efficiency of information flows in client processes.