Heritage Documentation and Preservation Using 3-D Terrestrial Laser Scannning Technology in the Bastakia Region of Dubai

Dr. Hussein Harahsheh
Deputy General Manager
Global Scan Technologies LLC
Dubai, UAE

Ibrahim Baz
IMP-IBB
Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract
As far as urbanization models of our days are considered, Dubai has been one of the precious urbanization areas of the world, where samples of civil and modern architecture and the most striking applications of built-up arrangements can be seen. In parallel to this, the city has become the most rapid, assertively developing city of the Middle East. That this development will go on happening is evident from the fact that involvement and flow of resources from all over the world goes on without any sign of diminishing. As we look from this perspective, the Bastakia region that is historical city center under conservation, the sustainability of it in a form of a world’s cultural inheritance, hand in hand and in harmony with samples of contemporary architectural culture is crucial for protecting history and culture of the region for the future generations.

In this respect, buildings and the courtyards where the Dubai Municipality Cultural Heritage Department are located were scanned using the Optech ILRIS 3D laser scanner with 8mm point density on the object. After the registration, and the georeferencing of the laser data (using Polyworks software), architectural details were drawn in 3D using the ZMap Laser software of the MenciSoftware company of Italy. Based on these 3D drawings of the different parts of the study area, 3D modeling was prepared by the 3D studio Max. software. Final results were the animation and the visualization of the generated 3D laser model with the support of high-resolution digital images of the objects under evaluation.