Heritage Conservation and Management of Traditional Anhui Dwellings Using 3D Digitization: A Case Study of the Architectural Heritage Clusters in Huangshan City

Traditional villages stand as irreplaceable treasures of global cultural heritage, embodying profound historical, cultural, and esthetic values. However, the accelerating pace of urbanization has exposed them to unprecedented threats, including structural degradation, loss of intangible cultural practices, and the homogenization of rural landscapes. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other advanced geospatial technologies have been increasingly applied in the conservation and restoration of architectural heritage. The digital documentation of traditional dwellings not only ensures the accuracy and efficiency of conservation efforts but also minimizes physical intervention, thereby safeguarding the authenticity and integrity of heritage sites. This study examines the architectural characteristics and conservation challenges of traditional Huizhou dwellings in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, by integrating oblique photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and 3D modeling. Close-range photogrammetry, combined with image matching algorithms and computer vision techniques, was used to produce highly detailed 3D models of historical structures. UAV-based data acquisition was further employed to generate Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) from point cloud datasets, which were subsequently pre-processed and denoised for restoration simulations. In addition, HBIM was utilized to conduct quantitative analyses of architectural components, providing critical support for heritage management and decision-making in conservation planning. The findings demonstrate that 3D digitization offers a sustainable and replicable model for the protection, revitalization, and adaptive reuse of traditional villages, contributing to the long-term preservation of their cultural and architectural legacy.