Overview
Brixton Windmill, built in 1816, is one of only two surviving windmills in London and holds Grade II listed status. This virtual tour preserves the historic structure digitally, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere—particularly valuable for those unable to visit the physical site.
Working around the constraint of no interior access, I focused on capturing the windmill's exterior architectural details and its commanding presence from multiple perspectives. The result is a "floating island" experience where the windmill exists in its own isolated space, allowing visitors to appreciate the structure's form without urban clutter.
Production Pipeline
1. Drone Capture (CAA A2 Certified): Aerial footage captured using professional drone equipment with proper authorization to fly near a Grade II listed building. Multiple flight paths ensured comprehensive coverage of the windmill's exterior.
2. Kiri Engine Processing: Raw drone footage processed into point cloud data, generating the initial 3D representation from hundreds of aerial photographs.
3. SuperSplat Cleanup: Refined the Gaussian splat in SuperSplat editor, removing noise, optimizing geometry, and preparing the model for web deployment. File size optimization was critical to ensure smooth performance without sacrificing visual quality.
4. 3D Vista Pro Assembly: Combined the cleaned Gaussian splat with ground-level 360° photography in 3D Vista Pro, creating seamless transitions between aerial and ground perspectives.
5. Server Deployment: Optimized assets deployed to web server for public access at tours.tag-art.co.uk.
Key Features
Aerial Perspective
God's-eye view captured via drone, showing the windmill's structure from angles impossible in person.
Perspective Shift
Seamless zoom from aerial overview down to human-scale ground photography, revealing architectural details progressively.
Heritage Preservation
Digital archiving of a Grade II listed building (built 1816), creating a permanent record accessible worldwide.
Universal Access
Free virtual tour for those unable to visit physically, making heritage accessible to all.
Architectural Focus
Floating island presentation isolates the structure, allowing detailed study of the windmill's form without urban distractions.
Web-Optimized
High-quality Gaussian splats compressed for smooth web performance without sacrificing detail.
Virtual Tour Views
Aerial Gaussian Splat
Ground-Level 360°
Tour Interface
Technical Stack
The project utilizes a specialized workflow combining drone photogrammetry with Gaussian splatting technology. Kiri Engine handled the initial 3D reconstruction, followed by cleanup in SuperSplat editor to optimize the model for web delivery. 3D Vista Pro served as the tour authoring platform, allowing seamless integration of aerial splats with ground-level 360° photography.
As a CAA A2 certified drone pilot, I ensured all aerial capture was conducted legally and safely near the Grade II listed structure, following proper protocols for urban heritage site documentation.