Measured survey

A measured survey, known in Turkish as rölöve, measures and draws an existing building exactly as it stands. A new design drawing describes what is intended; a survey records what is there. Out-of-plumb walls, level changes, cracks, changes in material and later additions all go onto the drawings.

When a survey is needed

• Before restoring a historic building, as the first step of conservation
• Before renovating a building whose drawings are lost or no longer match reality
• For interior projects that depend on accurate existing dimensions
• When a legal or technical record of condition is required

Survey methods

For small jobs, hand measurement with tape and laser distance meter can be enough. Larger and more complex buildings call for total stations, photogrammetry and laser scanning. A laser scan produces a point cloud of millions of points, from which plans, sections, elevations and, if needed, a 3D model are extracted.

For heritage work, material and decay analyses are drawn on separate sheets. For renovation, an accurately measured existing condition gives the new design and its renders a reliable base. Our article on architectural renovation covers this step as well.