The team at JDA Co (JDA) were working on the Wilson Cottage & Villa project on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia when they introduced the Z+F IMAGER 5016 laser scanner from Aptella to this project because the challenging rock bed on-site needed to be explored with the design of the villa.

Arjan Sandhu, Architectural Student, B. Arch Design, JDA explained that the Wilson Cottage & Villa project on the remote Lizard Island called for an ecologically sensitive design which respected the island’s remote and serene environment. This made it especially important that this environment was captured with the laser scanner.

“As architects it is vital to go on site and explore the possible applications of the site, and the Z+F 5016 laser scanner helps achieve this effectively,” said Mr Sandhu.

“In this project, the laser scanner was applied to scan the bed rock and the surrounding area, which would be taken back to the office for further exploration with CAD applications.”

Why did JDA choose the Z+F IMAGER 5016 laser scanner from Aptella?

JDA chose the Z+F IMAGER 5016 scanner from Aptella for this project on Lizard Island after using this laser scanner to record topographic information in a range of other projects run by JDA. JDA chose Aptella as its technology partner due to its experience and knowledge in the scanning field.

“Aptella helped with support and training in software and technical issues on-site and in the office for the Z+F 5016, helping implement a smooth workflow to complete projects with accuracy and detail,” said Mr Sandhu.

One of the features of the Z+F IMAGER 5016 laser scanner that was the most appealing to JDA is its ability to record and register on-site, this feature allows the team at JDA to see the accuracy between scans within minutes and enables quick rectification of any potential issues that may arise during the scanning process.

What benefits has JDA seen since implementing the Z+F 5016?

The Z+F 5016 scanner allowed Mr Sandhu and his team to avoid wasted time on the Wilson Cottage & Villa project because they didn’t need to travel back to the site multiple times for further inspections after the initial scan.

“Here at JDA we have been impressed with the success of the quality of the data that is collected by the Z+F 5016, with ROI’s achieved on various projects,” said Mr Sandhu.

“The results of transferring the point cloud to CAD programs was a positive surprise, as we were able to begin modelling in CAD within hours of scanning a project.”

Mr Sandhu said that his team at JDA will continue to use the Z+F IMAGER 5016 laser scanner as a solution in the future for similar projects that they work on.

“The Z+F 5016 is an exceptional product for recording data at one point in time which is very rare to be captured in 3D. We would highly recommend this solution to others,” said Mr Sandhu.

About JDA Co

JDA Co is a Brisbane-based architecture studio that focusses on climate adaptation, community, and remote, complex projects. JDA’s encompasses a diversity of project scales ranging from boutique residential to large institutional projects, building in particular on the practice’s collective expertise in all areas of design ranging from one-off residential architecture through to multi-residential projects, interiors, cultural/public buildings, heritage, urban design and master planning.