IDDA: An Immersive Digital Data Asset Framework for Cultural Heritage Preservation with Embedded Local Philosophical Values: Design and Triangulated Evaluation at Pura Taman Ayun, Bali

Abstract

Cultural heritage sites in the Indonesian Archipelago face continuing physical deterioration and erosion of traditional knowledge, while many immersive digitization initiatives prioritize visual representation over the semantic and cultural contexts that give heritage its meaning. This study developed the Immersive Digital Data Asset (IDDA) framework, which integrates geometric, semantic, and culturally grounded design layers within a web-based heritage platform. Following an adapted Design Science Research Methodology, the framework was instantiated as an immersive virtual tour of Pura Taman Ayun, Bali, using Terrestrial Laser Scanning, unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry, semantic information points, and a staged asset-optimization pipeline. Selected principles of Tri Hita Karana were mapped to spatial organization, navigation, user interaction, and site–landscape representation. The evaluation combined black-box functional testing, System Usability Scale assessment, and an internal target-achievement analysis. All seven functional modules met their predefined acceptance criteria. The optimization process reduced the polygon count from approximately 15 million to 500,000 polygons, representing a 96.67% reduction, and decreased the asset size from approximately 2.5 GB to 85 MB. Loading time was reduced from more than 45 seconds to under 5 seconds under the reported testing conditions. A purposively recruited sample of 31 respondents produced a mean System Usability Scale score of 96.29 (SD = 4.12; 95% CI [94.78, 97.80]), indicating high perceived usability within the sampled group. The findings demonstrate the technical feasibility, functional integration, optimization performance, and preliminary usability of a culturally grounded immersive heritage platform. External validation by qualified cultural authorities and evaluation across additional sites and independently recruited user groups remain necessary before claims regarding cultural correctness and broader transferability can be established.