St Nicholas Experience

Static & Motion Graphics

Machine Learning

Architectural Design

St Nicholas Experience, an interactive web-native educational document that provides a digital method for visiting a cultural heritage site

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Role

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Throughout this 6 month project, I was instrumental in the on-site data acquisition phase, capturing high-resolution video and still photography essential for generating digital content. I then took the lead in integrating the diverse data streams created by our group - including LiDAR scans, photogrammetry models, NeRF renderings, and Gaussian Splatting scenes - into a single, cohesive digital representation. This culmination of my work involved building the interactive, web-based document, creating an accessible platform for users to explore the St. Nicholas Chapel.

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Prompt

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The St. Nicholas Chapel project was driven by the urgent need to document and preserve endangered architectural heritage, specifically focusing on Carpathian-style wooden churches. These unique structures face numerous threats, recently exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, adding urgency to their documentation. We aimed to showcase how this architectural tradition provided a sense of belonging for Rusyn migrants in Pennsylvania and how modern digital tools can create a richer, multi-layered understanding. Our goal was to bridge 'close reading' (the detailed study of one building) with 'distant reading' (the analysis of the broader architectural style), using innovative computational methods to create an engaging digital experience for a wide audience.

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This paper details our multi-modal and multi-scalar approach to documenting the St. Nicholas Chapel. It outlines how we combined high-resolution scanning (LiDAR, photogrammetry), AI-driven 3D reconstruction (NeRF, Gaussian Splatting), historical research, and ethnographic interviews to create a comprehensive digital portrait. The research demonstrates how these diverse methodologies can converge into a cohesive, interactive digital document, offering new avenues for cultural heritage storytelling and engagement. I was honored to be selected to travel to Florence, Italy, where I presented this research and our findings alongside one of my coauthors.

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