VIRTUAL ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

Stonemasonry combines embodied craft knowledge with the production of durable architectural artefacts, positioning it simultaneously as an intangible heritage practice and a generator of tangible cultural heritage. In recent decades, this practice has been reconfigured through the uptake of machine-assisted tooling and numerical design, yielding semi-automated workflows that still depend on expert human judgement. This study compares traditional and semi-automated stonemasonry through the lenses of efficiency, productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability. Methodologically, the research triangulates a literature review with field interviews and translates the end-to-end production into two comparable Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) representations. A pool/lanes-based modelling strategy is used to align actors and stages across the two systems, enabling like-for-like comparison of process responsibilities and handovers. To strengthen the comparison with a quantitative layer, we conduct a notational inventory of the BPMN diagrams by counting and classifying all diagram components (N=612 instances). The distribution highlights activity and linkage density (Tasks:23.86%; Dynamic Connectors:28.27%), control-flow structuring (Sequence Flows:11.11%; Gateways:5.88%; Events:6.20% combined), and cross-actor coordination (Message Flows:1.63%). Findings indicate that traditional stonemasonry can remain operationally efficient despite labour dependence, yet its productivity and competitiveness are constrained by locality-bound networks. Semi-automation increases throughput and market responsiveness, but creates sustainability trade-offs by intensifying reliance on energy-demanding inputs and resources with problematic recycling pathways. Integrating pool-based BPMN comparison with quantitative element analysis, the study provides a transferable framework for examining craft-to-digital transitions and designing production lines that balance performance.