Heritage in Transition: A Systematic Review of HBIM–LCA Integration Towards Sustainable Conservation

Abstract

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are increasingly integrated to support environmental assessment in the built environment. However, applications to existing and heritage buildings remain fragmented, and the contribution of Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) to Life Cycle Assessment is still poorly defined. This study presents a systematic review of 41 peer-reviewed publications retrieved from Scopus and reported according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, combining bibliometric, thematic and workflow-oriented analyses. Studies were selected according to predefined eligibility criteria based on relevance to HBIM-LCA integration. Three main BIM–LCA workflow typologies are identified: manual/export-based, plug-in-based and IFC-enabled interoperability approaches. While these workflows have progressively improved automation and data exchange, their application to existing and heritage buildings remains largely scenario-driven and focused on comparing refurbishment, retrofit, adaptive reuse and reconstruction alternatives. The review shows that HBIM distinctive contribution does not lie in environmental calculation methods, but in its ability to structure knowledge related to existing assets, including conservation state, intervention history, information provenance, uncertainty and life cycle transformations. However, current HBIM information structures remain only partially aligned with LCA requirements, particularly regarding service life, end-of-life scenarios and knowledge management. Semantic technologies emerge as a promising pathway towards knowledge-level interoperability. Limitations are related to the heterogeneity of the reviewed studies and the predominance of qualitative evidence. Digital-Green Heritage Workflows integrating HBIM, LCA and semantic technologies enable more transparent, life cycle-oriented and sustainable heritage conservation.