Call for Applications - Summer Internships
The New Paradigm / New Tools for Architectural Heritage in Canada (NPNT) is now accepting applications for summer 2019 internships. The program is a Partnered Research Training Initiative funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) that addresses the theoretical, practical and ethical imperatives surrounding the use of new and emerging digital technologies for the conservation and rehabilitation of our built heritage.
NPNT brings together partners from around the world with the most advanced digital technologies available for architectural rehabilitation and conservation. Working with a Canadian or international partner, students gain valuable skills preparing them for both the intellectual and technical demands of a leadership role in defining the role of digital tools within a new paradigm for heritage conservation.
This past summer, ten students ranging from undergraduate to Ph.D. participated in NPNT. The program began with a week-long workshop at the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS), focusing on the fundamentals of photogrammetry, laser scanning, point cloud data, and other digital technologies. Following the workshop week, the students began their internships with the partner institutions. Last summer, CIMS was fortunate to host three international students, Chiara Midali, Silvia Blanco, and Berta Carrion Ruiz.
Chiara Midali is an undergraduate student in the Preservation of Built Heritage program at the Polytechnic University of Milan and spent her summer placement here at CIMS. Chiara’s positive experience in the New Paradigm / New Tools program was reflected in her exit report, “This program improved my skills in emerging technologies and develop my knowledge in digital storytelling. This program was an enriching opportunity, not just for professional development but also for personal growth. I had the opportunity to be part of a big project, see the management mechanisms and interact with people of different backgrounds, skills, and experiences. I had the opportunity to meet smart and friendly people, which made the working atmosphere very enjoyable.”
Silvia Blanco Pons is a PhD student in Geodesy and Cartography Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). Silvia worked on the Parliament Hill accessibility app, as well as the development of Augmented Reality (AR) applications to use on site, at Parliament Hill. She developed prototypes of AR applications; interactive experiences, passive experiences and AR to VR experience using Unity.
Silvia was drawn to participate in the New Paradigm / New Tools internship because she “was interested in knowing how is work conducted in other research centres in order to learn new skills and improve my research. All the internal and external meetings were important for me because I had the opportunity to show different people the AR experiences, which helped me understand people’s interest regarding technology. This gave me more ideas to improve the applications.”
Berta Carrion Ruiz is a PhD student in Geodesy and Cartography Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). Berta worked on the Virtual Reality project, researching how to texture BIM models with photogrammetry textures as well as the best way to align meshes and point clouds. She was involved in an app project, developing AR experiences of the Parliament Hill. She conducted research to determine the most efficient way to disseminate CIMS’ work to the general public. She also worked alongside Silvia to develop the Parliament Hill accessibility app.
Berta was interested in participating in the New Paradigm / New Tools program “due to its dedication to the development of new and emerging digital technologies for the conservation and management of the architectural heritage of Canada. CIMS dedication to the forms of capture and the architectural heritage documentation captivated me. In this way, the internship seemed like the perfect opportunity to develop new ways to show and represent cultural heritage. As a researcher, I wanted to share experiences and knowledge with other highly qualified colleagues in a different country.”
After all of the great research concluded this summer, the interns met again for a debrief week at CIMS. Interns presented their work in the presence of the partner institutions. The presentations were a valuable learning opportunity that generated interesting questions and discussions. Thank you to all of the interns and partner institutions for another great summer of research! We look forward to 2019 and another year of NPNT.
Applications are due November 16th, 2018.