Holy moly Re/Cappers do we have a church-scanning, mystery-solving, Netherlands narrative for you.
But the history of reality capture in houses of worship is just as enthralling as what the Dutch researchers we’ll soon Re/Cap, hope to discover.
A seminal moment occurred in 1999, when instead of Y2K a Stanford University crew said “Why NOT laser scan Michelangelo’s statues in the Medici Chapel.”
2001 saw the documenting and modeling of a French, 700-year-old collapsing colossus that had a more turbulent past than Robert Downey Jr.
The Columbia University scanning crew at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre, Beauvais, France…six years before iPhone #1. Image credit Columbia University
In 2009, Robert Cargill published a pioneering 3D biblical project, detailing a workflow of digital modeling to test various archaeological reconstructions of Khirbet Qumran, the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery site.
The Juma Mosque’s scanning, modeling, and subsequent academic paper exemplified the importance of UNESCO heritage sites.
VR is a hot-button term today, but a borderline-frigid one in 2018, when a vast synagogue modeling project allowed us to transport back to the 4th(!) century AD.
A notable, more recent endeavor takes us to Armenia, where Project Hayastan wields photogrammetry to explore the oldest country to embrace Christianity as its state religion.
Then, of course, there’s the crème de la crème of our topic du jour, Notre-Dame. Vassar art historian Andrew Tallon didn’t know it at the time, but his masterful 2015 lasering of the cathedral started as preservation and knowledge…only to become a blueprint for straight up rebuilding, after the infamous inferno of April 15, 2019.
THAT’S altaring our world.
What’s Cappenin’ This Week: A mysterious Dutch church summons Detective Scanner, GIS helps allay the opioid crisis, IoT in construction has more use cases than hard hats, integrated metrology might be so good that robot dances will occur on the manufacturing floor, and a Fault Disney AEC Error of the Week.
Mini ‘Cappenins: Women Surveyors Summit, drone news on DJI/legal battles/4G, FedEx invests in AI robotics venture for its supply chain, a LiDAR bus in space, an RCN pod where BIM/VDC meet MMA and inspiration, and a drone market projection.
Last week: Reality capture makes space for spatial intelligence, lasers aim at earth’s true center, best-paying states for women in construction, an expert on drone competition and supply chains gets interviewed, and an AEC Error of the Week that ranks among New Zealand’s most catastrophic.
The Sistine Chapel is awe-inspiring, one of those feats that feels like its creator (Michelangelo) got a software upgrade to which the rest of us weren’t entitled.
However, its popularity has eroded one feature that “The Sistine Chapel of the North” in Naarden, Netherlands, has in spades - mystery, specifically within its murals.
The “barrel vault” of Grote Kerk Church in Naarden, Netherlands. Image credit Factum Foundation
But researchers from an assortment of Dutch universities have set out for some scanning solving. By revealing intricate details from brushwork to pigment the naked eye can’t register, the hope - on top of preservation - is that the grandest mystery of all is solved; who created this divine display, and when?
It’s tough to ascertain which part of the opioid crisis is more haunting, the sheer human and familial destruction, or the complexity arising from synthetic products a la fentanyl, mental health concerns, and more.
But GIS, while far from a panacea, is proving to be an instrument of analysis, harm reduction, and even outright prevention.
Tempe, Arizona is tempering opioid damage with two things: maps and wastewater analysis. Image credit Esri
It’s the nucleus of a new blog series launched by Esri entitled Trends in Health GIS. Honoring National Overdose Day, The first installment presents “where-we-are” data pertaining to the macro state of the opioid crisis, before relaying the power of medical claims, overdose reports, hotspot mapping, and much more. It’s a paragon of how technology can improve not just our world, but us.
2023 saw the IoT-in-construction market valued at $10.64 billion. If that wows you, try the $28.91 billion projected by just 2030.
But hold your 2x4s - a projection is just that.
IoT does all that? Thank goodness we’re past dial-up! Image credit ResearchGate
For a projection to manifest, people have to implement. For people to implement, they have to have cause. To have cause, well, read and share appinventiv’s recent, hyper-persuasive blog! From tracking and fuel saving to concrete and fleets, it spills the beams on the immense potential energy within an IoT revolution on the jobsite.
A news outlet publishes an article. A mammoth error is soon discovered. Big whoops, sure, but it can be edited with a few clicks and of course, blamed on the new intern!
That editing stage is a fairytale for manufacturing, wherein colossal errors can mean danger, recalls, and a conveyor belt of other problems. And such errors are frequent, due to inspection assets often being outnumbered by manufacturing assets.
Throw everything at it but the kitchen sink. But then scan, snap, and measure the sink. Image credit Quality Magazine
It’s one of many reasons the term “Industry 4.0,” code for “smart manufacturing,” has sped into the built environment zeitgeist. Quality Magazine recently championed what it calls the next frontier in manufacturing, full of robots, photogrammetry, inertial measurement units, algorithms, and previously unthinkable precision.
L.A.’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003. Perfect for symphonies on the inside and frying eggs on the outside. Image credit Dezeen
In 2003, Los Angeles got a new jewel in its cultural crown: the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Designed by architectural maverick Frank Gehry, this $274 million symphony center was meant to be a harmonious blend of acoustics and aesthetics. Little did anyone know, it would also become a master class in unintended consequences.
Picture this: you're strolling down Grand Avenue, minding your own business, when suddenly - BAM! - you're hit with a light so bright you'd swear you've stumbled onto that test scene in Oppenheimer. But no, it's just the Walt Disney Concert Hall, casually reflecting sunlight with the intensity of a thousand paparazzi flashes as Beyoncé leaves a restaurant.
The culprit? Those sleek, stainless steel panels forming the building's exterior. While they looked stunning on paper (and in person, if you're wearing welding goggles), they turned out to be nature's own fun-house mirrors, focusing sunlight into searing beams that could fry an egg on the sidewalk—or at least make you feel like one.
Nearby residents found themselves baking, with temperatures on their properties skyrocketing by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit while the glare raised sidewalk temperatures to 140 degrees. The glare was so intense that drivers squinted their way through the area as if looking for the next soap opera star.
But fear not, for every architectural oopsie comes with a lesson (and usually, a hefty repair bill). The solution? Sandblasting. Yes, you read that right. The same technique used to remove graffiti was employed to dull the shine on about 13,000 square feet of steel. The price tag? A cool $180,000.
3D laser scanning and photogrammetry could have created an accurate digital model of the building. This would have allowed architects to visualize how sunlight would interact with the surfaces, illuminating potential glare issues long before the first concert was scheduled.
Simulations using that shiny new model could have predicted how sunlight would traverse the building throughout the day. Armed with this knowledge, designers could have adjusted angles, materials, or even added some strategic shading elements to keep the glare at bay.
Thermal Cam’d Drones could have taken to the skies to map heat patterns and monitor the building's impact on its surroundings. This would have provided real-world data to validate the initial simulations and identify any lingering hot spots.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) would have allowed architects and engineers to collaborate more effectively, ensuring that every shiny curve and corner was optimized for both aesthetics and comfort.
Post-Construction monitoring and inspections using reality capture could have helped identify any new glare issues that may arise over time, allowing for timely adjustments to keep the concert hall a welcoming space for all.
Let this saga remind us that the best designs are those that harmonize beauty with functionality, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the view…free of sunglasses.
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