NTU Research Project

This research project aimed to develop local capacities for recording, surveying and protecting built heritage buildings in India, as a knowledge transfer to improve their maintenance and tackle deterioration. This was done through a series of training activities for students and staff of the Center for Heritage Conservation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation in Ahmedabad, surveying heritage buildings using 3D laser scanning, one of the latest technologies for accurate and comprehensive documentation of the as-built condition of the environment. They were exposed to the contents of 3D data collection, postprocessing and dissemination using on-site and remote methods. The activities were possible to be carried out in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic considering physical distancing and other preventive measures. Installing the surveying capacity within the Center in India through its Master’ Program in Conservation and Regeneration, it is expected that the capacities and skills learned by students and lecturers can help to continue the knowledge development even when the project is over.

Eventually, this knowledge will be disseminated to local authorities, consultancies and academia to improve the methods used in the conservation of built heritage in general. In doing so, an affordable and sustainable method for the conservation of heritage buildings could be established, building on previous experiences of scanning in seismic areas of Chile. This is relevant to complement the funded AHRC project, “A Sustainable Re-construction Method for Seismic-prone Heritage Areas of India Based on Advanced Recording Technologies”, in which a re-construction strategy and mitigation plan were developed for the heritage area of Bela, in Gujarat, based on its 3D scan record.

This project is funded by Nottingham Trent University and carried out at the Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage.