Digital heritage documentation of modern architecture in Cuenca-Ecuador

Abstract

In the city of Cuenca in the south of Ecuador, analogous documentation techniques continue to be the unique registration mechanism for built heritage. The heritage characteristics of modern architecture in Cuenca are not well known, therefore the documentation activities are still based on paper fiches that gather basic data, without the possibility to update or monitor those records. In addition, this type of heritage, is underestimated, not disseminated and devalued by public institutions, owners and by local citizens, who do not find heritage attributes in these buildings. Consequently, this research used technological documentation techniques and tools for the identification, conservation and safeguarding of modern heritage in the city of Cuenca, aiming to raise awareness about modern heritage. With the evaluation of the existing records, this research aspires to validate the digital documentation tools for modern architecture as a first step to its recognition and valorization. Thus, scanner laser, photogrammetry and rectified photography, were used and compared to verify the adaptability of the documentation fields content to modern architecture and the opportunities that the results grants to promote its preservation and management over time.