Virtual water heritage: Re-narrating conventual heritage at the Quinta de São Paulo

This paper presents an approach to virtual water heritage undertaken at the Quinta de São Paulo in Setúbal, Portugal, where two conventual hydraulic systems survive in a state of ruin. Amid increasing regional water scarcity, these systems have gained renewed relevance both as historical models for diversified water management and as a basis for re-narrating conventual heritage. To support their historic interpretation and eventual rehabilitation planning, a Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) environment is being used to coordinate survey data from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), analogue surveys and comparative case studies. Two interconnected lines of investigation were explored: firstly, evidence-based virtual reconstructions and secondly, as-found modelling of existing conditions. Across these lines of investigation, dissemination prototypes were developed through a range of tools, including extended reality (XR) and 3D printed artefacts to communicate ongoing research to expert evaluators and publics. Framed within a larger research project, this approach identifies best practices and gaps that can support the site’s ongoing interpretation, rehabilitation, and heritage programming.