NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA

Making the Armenian architectural heritage available, accessible and increasing the interest among young generation, hence taking this objective into consideration NUACA Chair of Architecture Theory, Recovery of Historical-architectural Heritage, Fine Arts and History has created a platform where the Armenian architectural monuments, scientific, historical, three-dimensionally modeled images will be presented.

During our conversation the head of department Emma Harutyunyan, going into the details for the three-dimensional map creation and development mentioned that, in contrast to a number of computer programs presenting the Armenian architectural heritage, the advantages of this pilot program are obvious and exclusive. According to her, the three-dimensional models of the map will be maximum accurate, the information of scientific section will be downloaded only from scientific periodicals, monographs and reliable scientific sources, as well as the three-dimensional models of theoretical reconstruction shall be presented.

The future map will be a computer information program where the visitor of the website will have 4 opportunities of choices; namely accessible information and models, scientific information and models, archive of student papers, educative games and movies.

Emma Harutyunyan noted that the last points were especially remarkable. Restoration models of architectural monuments, benchmark, documentary and photographic materials of all the years will be collected in the archive of student papers. It is planned to update the page with the new works of students each year. In the final section of educative games and movies three-dimensional games, entertainment and mind training exercises will be presented. Based on already developed three-dimensional models the users will not only be able to collect separate architectural and construction pieces of the proposed monument, but also get etymological, explanatory data after the completion of the building’s any main segment, for example, what is the church’s dome, drum or hood?

By the technical support of the Department of Engineering Geodesy and NUACA’s exclusive 3D-laser scanner as an example of a three-dimensional map, the Karmravor St. Virgin Church and the semi-ruined basilica of Yereruyq are presented. In the first phase of the pilot project it is planned to study 11 monuments (10 in the RA regions and 1 in Yerevan) after which the Armenian architectural monuments of Artsakh and Diaspora will be included in the list.

The project implementation, however, also requires financial support. E. Harutyunyan noted that it is planned to apply to notorious institutions targeting the preservation of cultural heritage together with our European partner universities as well as address the need to the responsible state and non-state bodies both in Diaspora and Armenia.