I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – Castle Survey
Utilising The Latest in Measured Surveying Technology
We were commissioned by ITV to survey the Gwrych Castle for the reality TV show “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” in 2020. Our team got the opportunity to be part of one of the most watched programs on TV.
The services we provided were Aerial Drone Surveys, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and Laser Scanning Surveys.
Written by J. Pegg | Published: 10th December 2020 | Updated: 4th September 2024
Measured Survey of a Castle:
The Call:
Our team leader, James, initially hesitated to take the call from Emily, as he was tired of cold sale calls. But Emily offered them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to survey a big castle in just 2.5 weeks for a new project without disclosing its location. James accepted the challenge, and a few days later, they signed an NDA and were given the castle’s location.
The Scope:
Our team was tasked to create an accurate measured building survey in 3D, suitable for Sketchup. The requirement was to create an accurate 3D model with simple detail, up to the first 10 feet from ground level. Rapid data capture and delivery were essential due to the tight timescale.
The Plan of Action:
The expansive Ramparts buried in the hillside of Gwrych Castle made it challenging to survey quickly. Traditional survey methods were not feasible, so our team used laser scanning to create a point cloud. The trickiest part was tackling the lack of stairs and access to higher levels. Our team deployed drones and some well-practiced photogrammetry techniques to capture clean detail at a high level. In just two days, they captured the whole castle intricately.
Point Cloud to Revit to SketchUp:
Working with point clouds in Sketchup was difficult due to the file size. Our team simplified the point cloud by interpreting the major walls and low-level windows in Autodesk Revit, allowing them to create simple geometry in a software that can handle the point cloud well.
Reverse Engineering from Point Cloud:
Our team strategically reverse-engineered from the point cloud data to create a much lighter weight 3D model, with a file size of just 15 Megabytes.
Drone Data to 3D Poly Model to SketchUp:
Our team created very detailed 3D models in OBJ format from the drone imagery. We broke new ground in converting drone imagery into an accurate 3D model and exporting it to a standard Sketchup file.
Some Testimonials from the client and the team:
A Testimonial from our Client:
“The work You and The Team carried out really did form the framework and backbone for our design. With such a tight timeframe, your service freed us up to concentrate on the design and function of the set rather than weeks of survey and draughting.”
Mathieu Weekes – Bizibot
Revit Technician / Surveyor:
“I was amazed when I found out what it was for after watching it for so many years. I felt so privileged to be part of a small part of such an iconic TV series”
Peter Hooley – Surveyor
360 Tour Surveyor
“I mean I really enjoyed it anyways, like it was a gorgeous place to be regardless of I’m a celeb… BUUUUT I’ve watched that show since I was a kid, so when we found out that it was for I’m a celeb, it was pretty awesome for me. 😊”
Charley Lawrence – Surveyor
Drone Surveyor:
“I’m so proud of the company and the team for being part of such a recognised show in the UK. The Castle was amazing to survey and investigate. The results we produced were our best yet and we were extremely happy to hand them over to ITV and Bizibot to help them with the producion of the show. We really hope they will give us similar opportunities in the future”
James Pegg – Surveyor
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How Can SolidPoint Help Your Project?
At SolidPoint, we are passionate about providing accurate and efficiently collected data for our clients and have worked on numerous projects across the UK. If you are looking to commission a survey in your next project, please don’t hesitate to Get in touch with a member of our friendly team to discuss your requirements and get a free quote.
Alternatively, you can call us on 01332 898350 or email us at projects@solidpoint.co.uk for more information on our services. We look forward to hearing from you!
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