Mario Eduardo Santana Quintero, Belgium | ISBN: | Submitted: Jun 10, 1998

Three-dimensional representation of the different phases of construction and actual state of conservation of Arenberg Castle using CAAD and Virtual reality applications towards its adequate conservation

This paper deals with the application of digital three-dimensional representations and the creation of virtual environments that enable one to consult and understand in a single platform all components of an historic building, such as its past and its actual state of conservation.

On the other hand, it aims at understanding the pro's and con's of using these kinds of techniques, in relation to historic documentation and to provide recommendations to improve their utilisation in the future.

The subject of study is the Castle of Arenberg. This building has been the subject of study by the Raymond Lemaire Centre for Conservation, during recent years for the training of future conservators. The castle has suffered a lot of transformations in its aspects and functions.

Although traditionalists consider computer drawings mechanic and static, therefore they are inappropriate. The use of the computer in understanding the built heritage provides a more sophisticated tool to represent, store, retrieve and manage historical information. As well as this, it provides a broader access to the information through either digital publications or the Internet.

Furthermore, in order create virtual environments that will enable one to make an adequate instrument of understanding and not just a video game. It is important to consider and create a scientific base applying the concepts used to analyse the built heritage, such as authenticity of form, Bauforschung and the application of computers to historic documentation.

Authenticity deals with the type of instruments used to prepare the graphic aspect of the building, such as patterns, colours and shapes that adapt the representation to reality.

Bauforschung clarifies the methodology to construct the architectural components of the building in the model, respecting the differences of each element.

The historic documentation is related to the classification and presentation of the different documents in a historic reconstruction.

The research carried out on the castle has provided a vast amount of historic documentation, survey plans and analysis concerning the state of conservation that is readily available to complete the compilation of information for public viewing.

First an inventory of the available documents, pictorial images, survey plans and state of conservation (pathology) studies were prepared.

Secondly, the two-dimensional survey plans already prepared of the castle were digitised to create the three-dimensional model using a solid modelling extension of a CAAD programme.

In addition to this, some areas of the castle were more detailed than others, enabling parts with different levels of abstraction to be created.

The architectural elements were created separately, such as walls, stones, windows, etc and not as a single structure.

The resulting solids were converted into a VRML model. The components constructed separately were linked to an HTML page containing photographs, information about their history and state of conservation.

On the other hand, some of the textures of the actual components were attached to the elements using photographs to provide support to the representation of the actual state of conservation.

This virtual environment gives access to different types of historic documentation through a graphic interface, in which every subject is directly linked to all aspects of the building.

http://www.asro.kuleuven.ac.be/rlcc/abg/t1/wel-t1.htm

[more information]

[other authors]
Herman NEUCKERMANS, Koenraad VAN BALEN.

[keywords]
Heritage, Conservation, Preservation, CAAD, architecture, representation, Virtual Reality, Castle of arenberg, Belgium, History