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Digitally Preserving a Historic Landmark: PGH Nurses Home
How 3D Laser Scanning Aids
Conservation & Renovations
The Solution
Project Overview
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The Philippine General Hospital (PGH), ​​​
a historic and fully operational medical facility, required precise as-built documentation to support its conservation and renovation plans. Specifically, the project focused on the PGH Nurses’ Home, a building designed by Filipino architect Tomas Mapúa in the 1920s, originally built to house Filipino nurses.
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Given the building's age, cultural value, and the hospital’s ongoing operations, the project needed to be executed with minimal disruption while ensuring high accuracy in capturing the existing structure.
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Digiscript deployed the Leica RTC360 and BLK360. Two high-speed 3D laser scanners known for their rapid data capture, real-time registration, and detailed point cloud accuracy​. These scanners allowed the team to efficiently document the 4,400 sqm building in just 7 days, with a small but highly skilled crew of 2-3 personnel.
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The scanners captured millions of data points per second, eventually creating an accurate digital twin of the building. The data from the digital twin model was then used create highly accurate 2D CAD drawings and a detailed 3D Revit model. are essential for architects and engineers to plan renovations without compromising the building’s structural integrity.​
​Results​​
​High-Precision As-Built Data: The generated 2D CAD plans and 3D Revit model provided stakeholders with a comprehensive view of the existing layout, allowing for informed and confident renovation planning.
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Support for Pre-Design Investigations: The as-built documentation proved invaluable during the assessment phase, enabling structural engineers and heritage specialists to evaluate building conditions early in the process.
Minimal Disruption: The efficient workflow and automated field registration of the Leica RTC360 ensured scanning was completed quickly without interfering with hospital operations.
Future-Proof Documentation: The detailed 3D as-built model ensures that PGH can reference an accurate digital record for future projects, maintenance, and compliance requirements
By leveraging 3D laser scanning technology, Digiscript delivered accurate and comprehensive as-built documentation for the Philippine General Hospital. This project highlights how reality capture solutions can streamline conservation and renovation efforts for historically significant and operational buildings.