Measured Building Survey of St Giles Church, Durham
St Giles Church
Durham
St Giles Church in Durham, England, has a rich and longstanding history dating back to the early 12th century. It was founded in 1112 by Bishop Ranulf Flambard as a chapel for a nearby hospital, serving both the spiritual and physical needs of the local community.
The church's original Norman architecture still influences its design, though it has seen several modifications and restorations over the centuries. Positioned just outside the medieval city walls, St Giles played a key role in the religious life of the area and has remained an active place of worship for over 900 years. Its historical significance and continuous use make it one of Durham’s notable ecclesiastical landmarks. Read more about St Giles.
We carried out the measured building survey using 3D laser scanning and produced orthographic images which was highly beneficial—and often required on similar projects—for churches due to their complex architecture and historical significance. The Laser scanning carried out captured precise, high-resolution data of the entire structure, including intricate details and hard-to-reach areas like vaulted ceilings & towers, with minimal physical contact, preserving the building's fabric. The resulting 3D model allows for accurate documentation of dimensions, condition, and geometry. Orthographic images derived from the scan data provided true-to-scale views that are essential for conservation, restoration, and planning applications. This technology ensures a comprehensive, non-invasive survey that supports informed decision-making and long-term preservation of heritage sites. such as St Giles Church, Durham.
Building Elevations
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The building elevations produced for St Giles Church offer several key benefits. The elevations provide accurate representations of the exterior façades, helping to document architectural details, materials, and conditions. They are essential for conservation work, allowing for the assessment of structural issues, weathering, or damage. Elevations also support planning applications and heritage approvals by showing the visual impact of proposed changes. Additionally, they serve as a valuable record for historical documentation and future maintenance planning. Elevations alongside orthographic images were required to show any structural issues on the external areas of building for later conservation efforts and stone repairs.
Building Sections
Floor Plans
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After laser scanning all of the externals & internals of the property, as mentioned in the Building Elevations section, we then produced a full Measured Survey using more ortho-images by taking multiple sections through the property to get a building floor plan and section layout. All of this information was again drawn in Auto cad and sent to the client as a full package in Auto cad & PDF format.
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The building Sections were produced to provide valuable insights into the church’s spatial layout, structural elements, and architectural features. These drawings help document vertical relationships between spaces, support restoration and conservation efforts, and assist in analysing lighting and acoustics. The sections are also essential for heritage planning and ensuring any interventions respect the building’s historical integrity.
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