The Laboratory aims to introduce the basic information useful to approach, by using appropriate technologies and methodologies the documentation of the architectures and of the urban and environmental spaces.
Fundamental methods and metric survey techniques (2 CFU) and fields applications (4 CFU) will be investigated beside the main direction for a critical analysis of the historical buildings approached at different levels of investigation, from the land towards the architecture scales.
The "metric" meaning define the contribution of topographical and photogrammetric techniques, that coincide with the English definition of "Metric Survey".
The shared topic of different instrumental methods that establish a main learning objectives is the interdisciplinary approach, also with the preliminary and post process control of metric and thematic data quality. The survey data management is conducted in digital format, and the general aim of the laboratory is learning of acquisition, modelling and representation of observed reality in accordance with the well-defined purposes.

The Laboratory aims to acquire skills in the plan of metric survey; a particular attention is directed to the ability of observe and read architectural objects with different level of deepening analysis, and to model the buildings and the environment with precise scale factors.

The expertise acquired during the first year of the course in Architecture are requested, particularly the basic knowledge of Euclidean geometry with its related vocabulary and graphical norms.

Architectural shape knowledge and the basic principles of the metric survey will be described with a particular focus on the techniques and methodologies useful to approach the largest scale of investigation. The survey methods will be used to carry out architectural models and drawings in a vector environment and derived from 3D data archives.
Topographical methods will be taught with the use of digital total stations, different software tools will be used to process and manage numerical survey data, some image ortho-rectification tools are aimed to be learned and integrated in the survey process, with a control of corrected images scale and positional reference. The 3D data managing will be run in CAD environment, and the representation will aimed at raster-vector integration. Other ICT solution to manage, elaborate and represent the survey data will be introduced

Practical activities (4 CFU) will be developed on a real object (measurements and drawings) and by using LAIB equipment. Theoretical fundamentals of the discipline will be tested by means of a significant practical test on a specific object

The teachers will furnish all the material used during the lessons and related notes about the theoretical arguments approached by using the web site of the Laboratory.
References related to general arguments and deep investigation on specific items will be given by the teachers during the lessons also by considering the specific example examined during the practical phase.

During the development of practical activity the teacher will test the intermediate results at the end of each of steps: metric survey, drawings and modelling of the architectural elements. The final evaluation will be based on the final results of the group’ deliverables (metric survey, drawings and modelling) and on the written test of the acquired theory knowledge. Each student can upgrade his score by an optional oral dialogue on the theory and practice developed during the Laboratory activities. The final evaluation will consider the results of the practice, written test, personal involvement in group activities and communication capability.