Systemic Modeling of Amazigh Dwellings. Complementarity Between HBIM and the Cognitive Model
(2026) Anticipating Socio-Ecological Impacts of Artificial Intelligence — ISBN: [978-3-032-19494-7], 148-164, published
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- Authors
Abidi, Zayneb 
Bouaita, Karim
- Abstract
- Facing contemporary eco-social changes, preserving the vernacular architectural heritage of traditional Amazigh dwellings represents a crucial challenge to ensuring historical continuity and cultural sustainability in southern Tunisia. As witnesses to a centuries-old territorial identity, these dwellings are now facing both physical and symbolic degradation, thereby threatening their transmission to future generations. The present work proposes a theoretical framework for a hybrid modeling method, grounded in a systemic analysis of Amazigh habitats. The objective of this study is to complement conventional digital heritage mod-eling techniques, especially Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM), with a cognitive model that enables architectural systems modeling by focusing on knowledge construction. In contrast to HBIM, which relies on quantitative data, the cognitive model's emphasis is on intangible dimensions, including collective memory, duality logic (male/female, interior/exterior), and the symbolic and spiritual meaning of place, which are characteristic of Amazigh houses. The cognitive model is based on the systemic triangulation tool and is structured around three axes: (1) the structural axis involves morphological analysis of dwellings (vol-umes, materials) and synthesis of their spatial organization into a coherent system; (2) the imaginal axis focuses on the interaction between material aspects (stone, earth, wood) and immaterial aspects (symbols, rituals, memory). The proposed workflow follows a sequential structure in which tangible data are first modeled through HBIM, then semantically formalized using an ontology, and finally interpreted through the cognitive model to integrate symbolic and imaginal dimensions. The integration of HBIM with the cognitive model yields a knowledge-based digital representation, enriched with semantic data related to social practices and cultural symbolism. Despite its potential, this approach is encumbered by limitations , including the complexity of modeling abstract concepts and managing cultural interpretations. Ultimately, this hybrid modeling strategy enhances heritage preservation by providing a culturally enriched digital representation that captures both the material and immaterial dimensions essential to the continuity of Amazigh architectural identity.
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Citations
Abidi, Z., & Bouaita, K. (2026). Systemic Modeling of Amazigh Dwellings. Complementarity Between HBIM and the Cognitive Model. In Alejandra Acevedo-De-los-Ríos, Damien Claeys, Nikitas A. Assimakopoulos (ed.), Anticipating Socio-Ecological Impacts of Artificial Intelligence (pp. 148-164). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-19495-4_9