Anyone wishing to explore Taliesin West, the winter home and desert laboratory of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, can now do so virtually, thanks to the power of reality capture technology. Through a combination of a powerful 3D imaging laser scanner, sophisticated documentation and an immersive media platform, visitors can tour Taliesin West online from every dimension – the exterior grounds and the interior home along with architectural details including 3D views and floorplans.
Technology Captures Every Detail
Created through a partnership between the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Leica Geosystems (part of Hexagon), the visual immersive experience relies on 360º spherical imagery and point cloud data captured with the Leica BLK360, the world’s smallest, fastest and easiest to use 3D imaging laser scanner. The data was compiled by Multivista, a global provider of progressive construction documentation and software services that is also part of Hexagon.
Leica Geosystems’ partner Matterport, an immersive 3D media technology company, provided its Matterport Pro2 camera and cloud platform for the initiative. Both the BLK360 and the Matterport Pro2 camera feed visual data into the Matterport cloud platform, where the Taliesin West virtual tour is located.
The resulting digital reality provides a completely new way to experience Taliesin West. According to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, “The point cloud data is invaluable for the preservation of Taliesin West and can be used to continue its legacy as a living laboratory. The data gathered for this project will inform and inspire the architectural community as well as the students that study here.”
Immersive Experience Heralds the Future of Design
The immersive experience provides a deeper understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy on organic architecture and how it comes to life in the design and structure of his winter home and studio. Importantly, it marks the beginning of a new initiative to capture Wright’s work in digital form for all to experience. The next property that will be available through a virtual tour experience is Taliesin, Wright’s summer home in Wisconsin.
“True to our mission, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is dedicated to preserving Taliesin and Taliesin West for future generations,” said Stuart Graff, president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “Through our partnership with Leica Geosystems, we’re able to carry our mission, and Wright’s vision into the future, by making Taliesin West available to the world so they can experience his ideas, architecture and design in new ways.”
Go here to learn more about reality capture, or contact us to discover how to put reality capture to work for you.
