How do you know if a university is moving in the right direction? Is it reflected in its curriculum, its campus infrastructure or the activities it chooses to undertake? More often than not, the answer lies in the opportunities it creates for students and society. An interesting example of this is REVA University’s School of Architecture, which recently hosted Emerging Digital Technologies in Heritage, a conclave focused on the future of heritage conservation through advanced digital tools and fabrication technologies. This initiative was organised to provide a shift in India’s architectural heritage discourse from passive digital documentation to active physical prototyping, opening new possibilities for heritage conservation and reconstruction. By integrating multi-axis Stone CNC Carving and 3D Concrete Printing in Architecture (C3DP), this project positions REVA University at the forefront of the Indian Digital Heritage legacy, moving beyond "Digital Twins" into the era of robotic craftsmanship.
India is home to several monuments, palaces, minarets, havelis, and heritage structures, which stand as enduring symbols of the craftsmanship of our earlier generations. Yet most of these structures face various challenges, such as environmental degradation, age, and human intervention. Recreating them with ancient technology becomes impractical. Digital tools have become a powerful alternative, wherein accurate digital models are created through immersive AR/VR, photogrammetry in architecture and other innovative reconstruction techniques, helping preserve and reinterpret heritage for future generations. Most of the universities focus on documenting heritage through scanning and digitisation, REVA is taking a step ahead – using industry 4.0 tools, thereby recreating ancient iconographic geometries and preserving the architectonics of heritage structures for future cities.
The opening session by Dr. Sharada Srinivasan of NIAS, Bangalore, on Hampi as a cultural and geological landscape presented an interdisciplinary understanding of Heritage where archaeology, geology, architecture, and digital technology intersect. The discussion about “Digital Hampi Project” demonstrated how digital technologies, traditional architectural canons and Shilpa shastra can work together in conjectural restoration and 3D modelling. Particularly fascinating was her research on archaeometallurgy, which explains the composite musical pillars. This session reminded us of an interesting lesson that technology is most effective when it blends organically well with traditional knowledge rather than replacing it.
In one of the most interesting future-oriented discussions from Dr Shiva Ji of IIT Hyderabad, he explored the growing role of artificial intelligence and digital twins in heritage conservation. He emphasised the importance of “listening to temples” as they are the living encyclopedias of knowledge, cosmology, mathematics, ecology, and craftsmanship. His whole session focused on the proactive approach to heritage monitoring, which marks a significant shift from reactive conservation to predictive preservation. Through digital twins and material spectrographs, he demonstrated how technologies can aid heritage conservation and interpretation. To validate these aspects, he provided examples of indigenous bamboo structures of Northeast India and how it reflects mathematical systems like the Fibonacci series, thereby highlighting the sophistication of the vernacular tradition. His projects on the monuments of Varanasi, the Nandi-Kandi Temple in Hyderabad, the traditional water systems of Vrindavan, and ventilation systems for slums reflected how heritage can address both cultural and contemporary environmental concerns. Making use of Artificial Intelligence, these systems can recognise patterns of decay or environmental stress on these monuments before they become visible to the human eye.
The session by Ar. Maniyarasan from CARE, Trichy, focused on photogrammetry in architecture and digital documentation techniques. Photogrammetry, considered as one of the most accessible technologies in heritage conservation, helps convert multiple photos into accurate three-dimensional models. However, the session went beyond technical explanations. It emphasised the importance of observation, planning, and interpretation in the documentation process. Technology may generate detailed models, but meaningful documentation requires understanding what should be recorded, why it matters, and how the information will contribute to conservation efforts. Through various project examples, participants gained insights into how digital documentation supports restoration planning, condition assessment, research, and public engagement.
A particularly engaging session was delivered by Uday Kumar P.L., whose work demonstrates the intersection of heritage, technology, and public participation. His initiative to document more than 1,500 stone inscriptions across the Bengaluru region represents one of India's significant citizen-driven digital humanities projects. Combining field epigraphy, digital recording techniques, mapping technologies, and data management systems, the project is preserving historical records that span nearly fifteen centuries.
The session highlighted how heritage conservation increasingly depends on interdisciplinary collaboration. Equally important was the realisation that technology is democratizing heritage preservation. Digital tools make it possible for broader communities to participate in documenting and protecting cultural assets, expanding conservation beyond institutional boundaries.
Dr. M B Rajani's session delved deep into how Dr. M.B. Rajani's session examined how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are being used to establish and manage protection boundaries around heritage sites. Through spatial analysis and mapping technologies, conservation professionals can better understand development pressures, environmental risks, and land-use patterns surrounding protected areas. The discussion highlighted the complex balance between conservation objectives and contemporary urban realities. While technology provides valuable data for decision-making, successful heritage management ultimately requires integrating cultural, social, environmental, and economic considerations.
The conclave also broadened the session by discussing beyond heritage structures. A session by Ar. Lingala Siva Deepti Reddy, Asst Professor, RUSOA, explored Tolu Bombeyata, the traditional shadow puppetry art of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and Theyyam, the ritualistic art form from Kerala.
It offered insights into the relationship between craft, material, and storytelling. Talking about how intricately crafted leather puppets, traditionally made from treated hide, the speaker talked about how they used colour, perforation, and light to create vivid shadow narratives rooted in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Followed by an engaging exploration of Theyyam, the session reminded that heritage encompasses not just monuments but also cultural practices, storytelling traditions, performances, crafts, and community rituals, which form an equally significant part of cultural identity.
The two-day conclave also included a visit to the Centre of Excellence in Digital Construction Technology by DivyaSree Developers. The visit demonstrated how CNC Stone Carving Technology, 3D Concrete Printing in Architecture, and broader 3D Printing Technology in Construction are transforming heritage preservation from digital documentation into physical prototyping, reinforcing the relevance of Emerging Digital Technologies in Heritage for future architectural practice.
