Preserving History Through Visual Technology Innovation: University of San Agustin, Iloilo City
Keywords:
adaptive reuse, augmented reality, conservation management plan, digital heritage, heritage conservation, University of San Agustin, visual technology innovationAbstract
The University of San Agustin, founded in 1904, possesses buildings and cultural landmarks that embody its architectural development, educational mission, institutional memory, and Augustinian identity. The absence of a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan leaves these assets vulnerable to material deterioration, incompatible alteration, fragmented documentation, and uneven conservation practice. This study developed a provisional Conservation Management Plan integrating established heritage-conservation principles with visual technology innovation for Herrera Hall and Dolse Garcia Hall. It employed a descriptive qualitative approach guided by the Burra Charter and informed by the Nara Document on Authenticity. Evidence was assembled through archival research, non-invasive site observation, condition and authenticity assessment, cultural mapping, visual and architectural documentation, and 22 semi-structured stakeholder interviews with purposively selected stakeholders conducted from April to May 2026. Data were explicated through coding, categorizing, and conceptualizing and compared across documentary, observational, architectural, visual, and stakeholder sources. The qualitative assessment indicated that both buildings retain historical, architectural, educational, social, spiritual, and symbolic significance. Herrera Hall retains recognizable authenticity in its form, setting, institutional use, and architectural details, while Dolse Garcia Hall reflects more extensive material and design adaptation but retains its historical associations, location, continuing use, spatial memory, and institutional relevance. Visible moisture effects, surface weathering, paint deterioration, localized cracking, aging materials, and modernization pressures require systematic assessment and intervention; no structural engineering or materials testing was undertaken. The proposed plan combines preventive conservation, compatible repair, adaptive reuse, documentation, monitoring, risk management, stakeholder participation, and institutional governance. Augmented reality, QR-based interpretation, three-dimensional modeling, photogrammetry, LiDAR-assisted documentation, and digital archives are proposed as future, non-invasive tools rather than validated operational systems. The resulting framework remains subject to institutional, technical, professional, and stakeholder review and validation.
References
Arreza, R. M. (1994). The University of San Agustin through the years. University of San Agustin.
Australia ICOMOS. (2013). The Burra Charter: The Australia ICOMOS charter for places of cultural significance.
Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4), 355–385. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355
Billinghurst, M., & Dünser, A. (2012). Augmented reality in the classroom. Computer, 45(7), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2012.111
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
Feilden, B. M. (2003). Conservation of historic buildings (3rd ed.). Architectural Press.
Funtecha, H. F. (2009). Universidad de San Agustin in 100 years (1904–2004): A historical review. University of San Agustin Publishing House.
ICOMOS. (1994). The Nara document on authenticity.
ICOMOS. (2022). Guidance and toolkit for impact assessments in a World Heritage context.
Jokilehto, J. (2006). Considerations on authenticity and integrity in World Heritage context. City & Time, 2(1), 1–16.
Lichtman, M. (2013). Qualitative research in education: A user’s guide (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Mason, R. (2002). Assessing values in conservation planning: Methodological issues and choices. In M. de la Torre (Ed.), Assessing the values of cultural heritage (pp. 5–30). Getty Conservation Institute.
Milgram, P., & Kishino, F. (1994). A taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, E77-D(12), 1321–1329.
Murphy, M., McGovern, E., & Pavia, S. (2013). Historic Building Information Modelling—Adding intelligence to laser and image based surveys of European classical architecture. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 76, 89–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2012.11.006
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Republic Act No. 10066. (2010). National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
Stovel, H. (2007). Effective use of authenticity and integrity as World Heritage qualifying conditions. City & Time, 2(3), 21–36.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ar. Adonis C. Canonicato (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
