Using Laser Scanning Techniques to Study the Visual Identity of Heritage Houses Facades in Erbil City (1900-1930)

Laser scanning techniques are widely used nowadays for the documentation of large environments and buildings. Data collected from laser scanning is used for multiple purposes including gathering data for heritage and historical preservation. The data collected from laser scanners are accurate and could provide qualitative and quantitative information about the scanned objects. This research gathered data for twenty facades of heritage houses located in Erbil citadel which is a unique historical landmark and a cultural heritage focal point of the city. This research contributes by using data collected from laser scanners to develop a method for studying the process of continuity of visual identity of facades of houses in Erbil city for the period (1900-1930). The analysis includes typo morphology characteristics of houses facades including, the composition of mass, composition of the façade, ordering principles, façade elements, finishing materials, color, and style. Some techniques are used for the process of analysis such as dimensioning, cropping, and tracing. The results reveal that most characteristics of the facades observed in the samples with a high frequency that represent the visual identity include, the masses being regular, the solid area being bigger than the void area, facades being non-symmetric, there is a unity in the facades, the most used elements are windows and entrances, the elements are vertical, the elements are with façade line, size of the element is one floor, the finishing material is the same as the building material, the most used material is brick, the colors are harmonious and a single style is used. This research is beneficial for researchers and architects to use laser scanning techniques for analysis not just documentation or recording data.