by Glenn Tschimpke
Staff Writer
Traditionally known as a teaching university, the University of North Florida is flexing its research muscles and delving into historic building preservation.
Dr. Mag Malek, an assistant professor with UNF’s building construction management program, received a $5,000 grant last fall to explore the use of computer technology to help make the preservation and restoration of historic and older buildings cheaper and more efficient.
The basic premise behind the project is to use computer imaging to facilitate restoration efforts before the first hammer hits the first nail. Malek said all structural changes can be done on the computer, assessed and then changed again if desired.
“Everything can be done because everything you’re doing is on your screen,” said Malek. “It doesn’t cost you much. It costs you your time, of course. But you see the end result before it actually happens. You can save a lot. You can know what is the best solution for a particular problem without spending too much money.”
The project works in two phases. First, Malek takes comprehensive pictures of the interior and exterior of a subject building. The pictures are then uploaded to a computer. Using existing industry software, he can create a virtual map of the building with the pictures.
“We get — I’m not correct in using the terminology but maybe it’s colorful and expressive — a virtual reality-type of approach,” he said. “You have the impression of moving inside the building, which is something you can see we have the technology for that. It’s not technology that I’m inventing. It’s technology I’m using.”
For the second phase, Malek can manipulate interior and exterior features and colors as well as calculate quantities of materials required for the renovation. With a few clicks, a wood floor can be carpeted. A tarnished brass railing can gleam again. Paisley curtains can be tie-dyed.
“I use another program to run the scenario of what if,” he said. “So I can change the texture. I can change the floor. I can change the ceiling. I can add partitions or remove structural elements. Once this is done, we would agree on some kind of retrofitting that would be needed for this historical building and that is done on the screen. So the end result is very quick.”
Malek warned that his project in not all-encompassing. While removing walls on the computer screen may be aesthetically appealing, the software does not take into account engineering considerations; it cannot differentiate between load-bearing walls and cosmetic partitions. The original building plans still need to be considered and structural engineers consulted. Malek’s main concern is to reduce planning costs and time when refurbishing older buildings.
“One important goal that
I’m after is to reduce, to the maximum, the uncertainty involved in any construction project,” he explained. “There is a lot of uncertainty there because we are talking about a number of different trades. When you reduce the uncertainties by getting all the elements on your screen, this is very valuable for the industry. You can know exactly what needs to be done and the quantities can be estimated very accurately. If you know the quantities accurately, you can also determine, to a great extent, the funds required to implement such a renovation.”