CASE STUDY: Bristol Beacon
Location: Bristol
Brief: Laser Scan Survey & Pointcloud
Deliverables: .PTX & .RCP pointcloud files
PointBIM carried out a colour terrestrial laser scan of the historic front entrance to Colston Hall—now Bristol Beacon—to capture a reliable record of the façade, foyer threshold and immediate streetscape before refurbishment.
Project Scope
The client required a precise 3D record of the old entrance, including:
- Principal façade, canopies, doors and steps
- Foyer threshold and ticket-hall interface (as accessible)
- Adjacent paving, kerbs and street furniture for context
The aim was to fix existing geometry ahead of demolition/alteration and to support downstream modelling by others.
Our Approach
We completed a short, tightly sequenced scan programme outside public opening hours to minimise disruption. A small control network was established and checked; all scans were colourised and registered to a common project coordinate system. QA checks covered overlap, residuals and coverage, with a brief scan report issued alongside the data.
Deliverables
- Unified registered, colour point cloud: RCP/RCS for Autodesk users and E57 exchange file
- Project coordinate report and scan limits sketch
- Basic clipping groups/view recommendations to speed up downstream modelling
Notes: This commission delivered point cloud only. The design team handled all post-processing/model build in their own software.