Existing buildings almost never match their original drawings. Decades of alterations, repairs, extensions and on site approximations mean the plans sitting in a filing cabinet can be wildly out of date, which makes any renovation or fit out genuinely risky. An accurate record of the building as it actually stands today is far more valuable than aging paperwork that nobody fully trusts, and it is the foundation every later decision rests on.
Our 3D scanning and photogrammetry service captures as built reality, giving architects, builders and engineers a true measured model of a space before they commit to a design or start construction. Working from what is really there, rather than what the old drawings claim, removes a major source of expensive surprises and lets everyone design with confidence from the very first sketch.
The problem with old drawings
Walls get moved, services are added, ceilings are dropped and rooms are reconfigured over the years, but the documentation almost never keeps pace with the changes. Designing against an inaccurate plan leads directly to parts that do not fit, clashes discovered on site, and costly rework that eats into both the budget and the programme, usually at the worst possible moment in a job.
A current capture removes that uncertainty by recording exactly what is present right now, down to the real positions of walls and openings. Instead of arriving on site to find that reality and the drawings disagree, the design team starts from measurements they can rely on, which is a far calmer and cheaper way to work, and it gives every trade a single shared, trustworthy reference.
What as built capture provides
A photogrammetry or scan based model records the genuine positions of walls, openings, floor levels and existing features, all tied together in a single coordinate system. From that model we can produce measured views, plans and dimensions that designers are happy to trust and build against, rather than relying on spot measurements taken by hand and transcribed back at the office afterwards.
New elements can then be designed in CAD to fit the actual space rather than an assumed one, which is especially valuable in tight or irregular existing buildings. Because everything references the same captured reality, the chance of a nasty clash on site drops dramatically once construction finally begins, and prefabricated components are far more likely to fit first time.
Planning a site capture
A good as built capture starts with a clear brief about which spaces matter and what level of detail each one needs, since a plant room and a feature staircase call for very different treatment. We plan a route that overlaps every important surface and ties the work to measured control points, so the finished model holds true dimensions from one end of the building to the other rather than drifting over distance.
Access, lighting and occupancy all shape how a capture runs, so a little coordination beforehand keeps the visit efficient. Clearing clutter, arranging access to locked rooms and capturing while the space is quiet all improve coverage. Photographs and a simple sketch of the site help us scope the job accurately, and the easiest way to begin is to send those details through a get a quote.
Where as built models help
Accurate existing condition data supports a wide range of tasks in architecture and construction, and a single capture often feeds several of them at once. If your project involves working within or alongside an existing structure, the cases below show where as built scanning earns its keep.
- Renovations and fit outs that must fit the existing structure.
- Heritage building documentation and conservation planning.
- Planning equipment installs within tight or awkward spaces.
- Resolving disputes about what was actually built on site.