Reverse Engineering In Late Gothic Vaulted Ceilings

Starting with surveys of Gothic-style buildings, Dr Wendland is working backwards from the building itself to the building process, using reverse-engineering software developed in the automotive industry. “With cars, the new design comes first – the detailed external shape and internal spaces of a new model. Only then does it reach the engineers who need to fit in the functional elements and determine how it will be made in a production environment – they use reverse engineering to achieve this,” he explains. “Art historians generally look at finished products not at creative processes, so this is a new approach for us.”

Past and future know-how 
By understanding how these structures were designed and built, the aim is to discover how this knowledge was transmitted, not only on medieval building sites, but also across Europe between architects and builders. Similarities between German and Spanish patterns reveal that information exchange took place, but a better idea of knowledge-transfer mechanisms, and how these were combined with local restrictions on available building materials, will throw light on working and social practices at the time.

Dr Wendland’s research also has a more modern application in the preservation and restoration of Gothic buildings. “Often today, restorers have only 19th century ‘Gothic-revival’ manuals or modern building methods to fall back on. Neither of these preserve the original fabric and structure – they involve modern solutions that address the facade. Armed with a better idea of traditional technologies, we will be well equipped to preserve these buildings and the cultural heritage they express for future generations and in the spirit of their original builders.”
 

 Credit: Technische Universität Dresden