Qualiscapes

Swiss National Research Programme 81 · Baukultur

Research methods

Surveys

Each demonstrator is recorded as a georeferenced 3D point cloud: the national aerial LiDAR combined with terrestrial laser scanning, colourised from high-resolution imagery and linked to locally recorded sound. Scanning workshops digitise selected sites in finer detail. Historic aerial photographs are reconstructed by photogrammetry, so that remembered change, mapped change and future design meet in one trans-scalar medium that holds ground, vegetation, buildings and infrastructure together. It gives the qualities of Baukultur, and the sense of place they carry, a common ground on which words, attention and proposals can be located and compared.

Colourised aerial LiDAR axonometry of the whole municipality of Minusio
Philipp Urech

From this work

  • 29 July 2026
  • Switzerland
  • Surveys

Surveying the past

Diving from the survey into a registered historic panorama Justin Booz
The historic colour palette, derived from a single plate Justin Booz
Colourising and segmenting the aerial archive Justin Booz
Learning a scene from the archive Justin Booz
  • 25 October 2025
  • Minusio, Ticino
  • Surveys

Minusio, recorded

Colourised aerial LiDAR axonometry of the whole municipality of Minusio
Minusio, aerial LiDAR, 2020 Philipp Urech
Perspective view of the colourised Minusio point cloud with a red section line
Perspective, with the section line marked Philipp Urech
Plan of Minusio combining terrain model and LiDAR
Plan: terrain model and LiDAR combined Philipp Urech
Long section through the Minusio slope cut from the point cloud
Section through the slope Philipp Urech
The Minusio settlement figure isolated on black
The settlement figure, isolated Philipp Urech
Ghostly white point cloud of trees and a bridge at Ponte Fontile
Ponte Fontile at Via Simen Philipp Urech
White point cloud of the wooded riverbank at Ponte Fontile
The wooded bank above the crossing Philipp Urech
White point cloud of the bridge deck and surrounding trees
The deck, scanned from below Philipp Urech
Detailed point cloud elevation of the Oratorio del Santo Crocifisso
Oratorio del Santo Crocifisso Philipp Urech
Plan of the streets around the Oratorio del Santo Crocifisso from the point cloud
The oratory in its street plan Philipp Urech
  • 21 September 2025
  • Minusio, Ticino
  • Surveys

Minusio in 1943

Monochrome photogrammetric axonometry of Minusio reconstructed from 1943 aerial photographs
1943, reconstructed by photogrammetry Philipp Urech

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