Igor Bajena

Igor Bajena serves as a Researcher at the Institute of Architecture, Mainz University of Applied Sciences (AI MAINZ), where he has conducted research since 2018 while simultaneously pursuing his PhD at the University of Bologna. His work bridges architectural history, digital humanities, and semantic technologies, with a focus on creating sustainable infrastructure for documenting hypothetical 3D reconstructions of lost cultural heritage.

He earned his MSc in Architecture from Warsaw University of Technology in 2019. His doctoral research (2021-2024) addressed the full lifecycle of digital 3D assets, culminating in the development of the OntPreHer3D ontology—a semantic framework based on CIDOC CRM for documenting reconstruction methodologies, sources, and uncertainties. This work established protocols for interoperable publication of 3D heritage models.

Bajena specializes in reconstructing lost synagogue architecture and medieval SchUM cities (Speyer, Worms, Mainz), employing additive manufacturing (SLA technology) for tangible dissemination of research. His methodology emphasizes ontological approaches to ensure transparency in reconstruction processes, semantic data modeling for contextual integrity, and virtual research environments that integrate 3D models with historical documentation. He actively develops standards for FAIR-compliant 3D heritage data.

He leads significant projects including the DFG 3D Viewer (funded by the German Research Foundation) and CoVHer (an Erasmus+ Capacity Building project), which established a pan-European semantic repository for architectural visualization. These initiatives involve collaboration with the University of Bologna, Warsaw University of Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and University of Porto.

As co-founder of AI MAINZ's Digital Urban History Lab, Bajena advances computational methods for historical urban analysis. Since 2022, he has taught digital reconstruction techniques as a guest tutor at Hochschule Mainz, Warsaw University of Technology, and the University of Bologna, disseminating his documentation frameworks to emerging heritage professionals.