when you’re working on medieval buildings it’s difficult to have the
buildings it’s difficult to have the
buildings it’s difficult to have the impression that you can say anything new
impression that you can say anything new
impression that you can say anything new because they’ve been looked at and
because they’ve been looked at and
because they’ve been looked at and written about for ages I’ve been
written about for ages I’ve been
written about for ages I’ve been interested in the way gothic buildings
interested in the way gothic buildings
interested in the way gothic buildings stand up and the way they handled
stand up and the way they handled
stand up and the way they handled themselves structurally and
themselves structurally and
themselves structurally and unfortunately for me there’s nothing
unfortunately for me there’s nothing
unfortunately for me there’s nothing written about it
written about it
written about it Mason’s never stopped at the end of the
Mason’s never stopped at the end of the
Mason’s never stopped at the end of the day and said well I built my Cathedral
day and said well I built my Cathedral
day and said well I built my Cathedral this way because and so I’ve been using
this way because and so I’ve been using
this way because and so I’ve been using more sophisticated technology these days
more sophisticated technology these days
more sophisticated technology these days to try to get new answers from the
to try to get new answers from the
to try to get new answers from the buildings the best technology to that
buildings the best technology to that
buildings the best technology to that could solve certain problems like this
could solve certain problems like this
could solve certain problems like this was the laser scanner it allows one
was the laser scanner it allows one
was the laser scanner it allows one really for the first time in the history
really for the first time in the history
really for the first time in the history of writing about Gothic architecture to
of writing about Gothic architecture to
of writing about Gothic architecture to say things I would say with relative
say things I would say with relative
say things I would say with relative certainty so the way it works is I had
certainty so the way it works is I had
certainty so the way it works is I had to set up a network of targets which are
to set up a network of targets which are
to set up a network of targets which are just geo-located points in space now
just geo-located points in space now
just geo-located points in space now that should be alright and you define
that should be alright and you define
that should be alright and you define the density of the scan the resolution
the density of the scan the resolution
the density of the scan the resolution of the scan in other words how many XYZ
of the scan in other words how many XYZ
of the scan in other words how many XYZ coordinate points in the space do you
coordinate points in the space do you
coordinate points in the space do you want to acquire and then you let it rip
want to acquire and then you let it rip
want to acquire and then you let it rip so what the laser scan actually does is
so what the laser scan actually does is
so what the laser scan actually does is it sends out a beam and it measures the
it sends out a beam and it measures the
it sends out a beam and it measures the amount of time that it takes for the
amount of time that it takes for the
amount of time that it takes for the beam to be admitted from its little
beam to be admitted from its little
beam to be admitted from its little laser device to whatever it hits and
laser device to whatever it hits and
laser device to whatever it hits and then the time that it takes to come back
then the time that it takes to come back
then the time that it takes to come back so it’s doing this at a speed of
so it’s doing this at a speed of
so it’s doing this at a speed of hundreds of thousands of times a second
hundreds of thousands of times a second
hundreds of thousands of times a second yeah we’re actually talking to the
yeah we’re actually talking to the
yeah we’re actually talking to the scanner that’s good so it generates a
scanner that’s good so it generates a
scanner that’s good so it generates a whole cloud of data points that’s
whole cloud of data points that’s
whole cloud of data points that’s extremely rich
I’ve been wanting to come to National
I’ve been wanting to come to National Cathedral for a few years now they
Cathedral for a few years now they
Cathedral for a few years now they incorporated the widening refinement
incorporated the widening refinement
incorporated the widening refinement that is the uprights are not perfectly
that is the uprights are not perfectly
that is the uprights are not perfectly upright especially just behind us in the
upright especially just behind us in the
upright especially just behind us in the crossing area that is in the
crossing area that is in the
crossing area that is in the intersection of the two major vessels of
intersection of the two major vessels of
intersection of the two major vessels of the church so right away you get a
the church so right away you get a
the church so right away you get a pretty interesting representation of the
pretty interesting representation of the
pretty interesting representation of the interior you can measure your way into
interior you can measure your way into
interior you can measure your way into articulating the exact curvature of this
articulating the exact curvature of this
articulating the exact curvature of this thing and once you realize the curvature
thing and once you realize the curvature
thing and once you realize the curvature then you can project it on up
then you can project it on up
then you can project it on up so that’s the smoking gun the verticals
so that’s the smoking gun the verticals
so that’s the smoking gun the verticals go up the the great piers go up and then
go up the the great piers go up and then
go up the the great piers go up and then they start slowly to bend outwards now
they start slowly to bend outwards now
they start slowly to bend outwards now to put this in perspective it’s a bit of
to put this in perspective it’s a bit of
to put this in perspective it’s a bit of a head-scratcher as far as a Mason is
a head-scratcher as far as a Mason is
a head-scratcher as far as a Mason is concerned you ask a basin to build
concerned you ask a basin to build
concerned you ask a basin to build something out of plumb he’ll look at you
something out of plumb he’ll look at you
something out of plumb he’ll look at you like you’re nuts Froman the architect of
like you’re nuts Froman the architect of
like you’re nuts Froman the architect of the cathedral sensed that he didn’t want
the cathedral sensed that he didn’t want
the cathedral sensed that he didn’t want something perfect because there was an
something perfect because there was an
something perfect because there was an element of kind of beauty and then
element of kind of beauty and then
element of kind of beauty and then Gothic building you know 12th century or
Gothic building you know 12th century or
Gothic building you know 12th century or 13th century building you wouldn’t look
13th century building you wouldn’t look
13th century building you wouldn’t look twice at that because that’s just the
twice at that because that’s just the
twice at that because that’s just the way they built but here we know that
way they built but here we know that
way they built but here we know that they were trying to do it that way and
they were trying to do it that way and
they were trying to do it that way and they could do it otherwise and that’s
they could do it otherwise and that’s
they could do it otherwise and that’s what’s interesting about it that they’re
what’s interesting about it that they’re
what’s interesting about it that they’re deliberately trying to build crooked so
deliberately trying to build crooked so
deliberately trying to build crooked so we have a wonderful combination in
we have a wonderful combination in
we have a wonderful combination in National Cathedral of this aesthetic
National Cathedral of this aesthetic
National Cathedral of this aesthetic built in the mind of William Goodyear
built in the mind of William Goodyear
built in the mind of William Goodyear concocted you could say based on miss
concocted you could say based on miss
concocted you could say based on miss reading of the evidence but in service
reading of the evidence but in service
reading of the evidence but in service of an aesthetic that really does still
of an aesthetic that really does still
of an aesthetic that really does still stand I see it as a way of mapping space
stand I see it as a way of mapping space
stand I see it as a way of mapping space of doing archaeology that is looking
of doing archaeology that is looking
of doing archaeology that is looking back in time I’m not standing down below
back in time I’m not standing down below
back in time I’m not standing down below and I’m saying with my IG that actually
and I’m saying with my IG that actually
and I’m saying with my IG that actually looks like it’s bending out of place
looks like it’s bending out of place
looks like it’s bending out of place with this you can say that is bending
with this you can say that is bending
with this you can say that is bending out of place
out of place
out of place for me it’s a giant detective puzzle I
for me it’s a giant detective puzzle I
for me it’s a giant detective puzzle I look at this big stone mass stone iron
look at this big stone mass stone iron
look at this big stone mass stone iron ward or whatever and I try to say well
ward or whatever and I try to say well
ward or whatever and I try to say well how did they do it it’s the age-old sort
how did they do it it’s the age-old sort
how did they do it it’s the age-old sort of fascination that really goes back to
of fascination that really goes back to
of fascination that really goes back to the fascination that I felt as a child
the fascination that I felt as a child
the fascination that I felt as a child and a nine-year-old kid looking at this
and a nine-year-old kid looking at this
and a nine-year-old kid looking at this big stone building the financing how do
big stone building the financing how do
big stone building the financing how do they do that
they do that
they do that you
”
Be First to Comment