Taking Design to New Heights
Documenting existing conditions can often times be difficult for Architects & Engineers, because the conditions are concealed, too high, out of reach, or outright unsafe to get to. The question is, how can you see things that you cannot ordinarily see? Technology. Using technology to your advantage is the way you get the job done.
When posed with performing a condition assessment and preparing the design for the restoration of the steeple on the historic St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Liverpool, NY, NKB offered the use of our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an onboard high definition digital camera to document the conditions that were otherwise unobservable from the ground. The conditions were too high and unsafe to try to get to with a ladder or lift. By using our UAV, NKB could provide high definition still or video imagery of conditions on the steeple that the owner, design professional, and contractor could not otherwise see. Having this visual documentation of an otherwise obscured condition is allowing the design team and the contractor to proceed with the design and construction activities on the steeple in an orderly manner.
The next big thing in Architecture and Engineering is not necessarily some earth-shaking new approach to re-invent the built environment. The next big thing is how we as design professionals can use technology in creative ways to provide unparalleled service for our clients. Using technology in creative ways to work for you.