How to measure buildings?

Vrtra Theory

I want to build scale models of some of the buildings in my city. What's the best way to measure the width, length and height of a building?

I can get fairly close by pacing the width and length of the building, then walking 50 feet away and sighting the top of the building along a compass. But if there are inexpensive tools out there that would help me get more accurate measurements, I'd like to hear about them.

Soggychicken

Something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-ATN-Ranger-Eye-800-Laser-Range-Finder_W0QQitemZ230222682022QQihZ013QQcategoryZ111289QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

Djeet

You could measure the shadow cast by the building, estimate the angle of the suns light and use the properties of a right triangle to give you a value for the height of the building. I cannot give you the formula since I haven't done Trig in a really long time.

I think it would be something like Tan(estimated angle) = (height of building)/(length of shadow) or something like that.
One of the more mathematically inclined forumers would know better.

Raiden333

Aren't building plans available to the public, or is that just private housing, not businesses?

Aldo

measuring the shadow only really works when the complete shadow is on the ground. This is not the case in most city centres, as the buildings are close to each other. There is a *lot* of information about buildings available, wikipedia has a lot, some architects publish it on their websites and sometimes the building has its own website with some information on it. If you're really at a loss you could try to get in contact with the architect (or the company he is part of) and ask them for the details. If you tell them you're going to make a scale model of their work they'd feel proud and wouldn't mind sharing some basic measurements. A laser range finder should also work, of course, but it looks like quite an investment.

And what you're doing sounds like an awesome hobby and you should share some of your work in the Artist's Corner if you feel like it. :^:

Rook

Djeet wrote: »

You could measure the shadow cast by the building, estimate the angle of the suns light and use the properties of a right triangle to give you a value for the height of the building. I cannot give you the formula since I haven't done Trig in a really long time.

I think it would be something like Tan(estimated angle) = (height of building)/(length of shadow) or something like that.
One of the more mathematically inclined forumers would know better.

Instead of using the sun, just make a simple clinometer with a protractor, straw and string.

Djeet

yeah, you kinda need the building to be out in the open to do the shadow trick. you don't need the complete shadow really, but you do need to get to the end of the shadow and know that the shadow you're measuring is for the building you're measuring. i recall using a piece of paper and a protracter to estimate the angle, could that have been a crude clinometer?

edit: I was assuming the ground was level, if there is an appreciable grade then the estimate gets complicated quick, and you might need a clinometer.

mts

to make a simple clinometer just get a big protractor, tie a string to the zero angle mark in the middle and add a weight to the end so it hangs down.

then find a real world use for geometry.

or for 20 bucks you can get a real slopemeter like this