Material Capabilities and Performance Capabilities:

The creation of a virtual reality for the study of materials and
systems performance capabilities will provide designers and
engineers with a mechanism for rapidly manipulating and testing
the physical fabric of the building assembly process.  Predictive
modeling of material performance will be illustrated in animation
sequences as an aid to designers in selecting appropriate
techniques for rehabilitation actions in the context of a
specific site.  Systems will be capable of modeling materials
performance, changes to the cultural landscape, and interactions
between environmental forces and cultural resources.  

A tactile interface board will convey to the system user the
textural qualities of the materials of construction.  The tactile
memory will assist preservation architects in selecting
appropriate strategies for preserving the textural character of
materials in rehabilitation work.  These sensory perceptions will
also contribute to the design review and resource interpretation
processes.  Prototype design models and, where original materials
have disappeared or deteriorated beyond repair, replacement
components will be produced using a StereoLithographic process
integrated into the CADD/3-D modeling system.  

<ffile72>   Preservation Design