Using Laser Scans and ‘Life History’ to Remember Heritage in Virtual Environments

When building is demolished or at risk, it is important to capture more than just a visual of the brick and mortar we need to preserve the structure’s community ties its “life history” - the human element; the stories of design, construction, community activity, and events are lost with the passing of each individual associated with it. One tool that can be utilized is the terrestrial laser scanner, which can capture an authoritative record of a structure or object at a moment in time. Comprehensively, scans are useful documentation to assist site restoration in the event of a natural disaster, fire, war, or deterioration due to weather. This value has been demonstrated with both the 2019 fire at Notre Dame and the UNESCO/CyArk conservation efforts at the Ananda Ok Kyaung temple that was impacted by an earthquake in 2016. Working in conjunction with local communities, researchers are able to solicit private collections of memorabilia, photographs, and documentation that cannot be found in archives and libraries. The life history approach combines the detailed laser scans with this rich multi-disciplinary documentation to capture the structure’s place in the community broadening its utility to enhance VR and AR experiences.