When the $50-million renovation of the former Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., began in early 2015, there was only a limited amount of original drawings and documentation about the building, a National Historic Landmark. But thanks to the design team’s extensive use of digital imaging, the Beaux Arts building is on full display to those working on the renovation. Tasked with preserving the 120-year-old building’s historic elements and determining how to best modernize its systems, the design team, led by Leo A Daly, used high-tech tools to create a detailed 3D model of the structure.
To provide an accurate view of the building, Leo A Daly, along with contractor Whiting-Turner and key consultants Mueller Associates and Silman, used multiple types of imaging techniques, including laser scanning, ground penetrating radar, CCT pipe camera surveying and hygrothermal wall analysis. Point clouds, created from laser scans, enabled the team to work much more efficiently, says Andrew Graham, associate architect at Leo A Daly. Graham estimates that the team’s data-gathering efforts enabled it to reduce site visits by at least 75%.