Integration of Close Range Photogrammetric Surveys in the Design Process of Architectural Projects

The purpose of our study is to test close range photogrammetry as an engineering tool, in an architectural project for two different sites. The first is an urban site in Reims (Champagne, France), where we are studying the conversion of an eight hectares wide waste ground, left vacant following old military barracks. The second is the old malt house of Ingwiller (Alsace, France), where it is necessary to establish the survey of existing buildings, and test the ability of current spaces to spring up again an activity. The two project scales are different: one is urban, whereas the other one is in the domain of building architecture. One must be able to seize their context by a global outline of their study areas, as well as know their dimensions. Such projects requires appropriate analysis tools. Multiple-view photogrammetry can become an additional and effective tool for architectural engineering, through the use of a digital model of existing buildings. The use of a digitized representation in the very early phases of design allows to directly work with shapes and building volumetry, and to choose the working point of view independently of the initial photos. The use of the PhotoModeler software package makes it possible to integrate the production of a digital model during the architectural design phase. This study allows us to test compatibility in the concurrent evolution of the digital model and of the architectural project. One must serve the other in a permanent and continuous evolution.