Google puts architecture on the map
Architects, technologists “mash-up” historic sites in virtual world
To mark its 150th anniversary, the Washington-based American Institute of Architects (AIA) has teamed with Google Earth — the search company’s online mapping service — for the launch of two unique projects.
The first effort, entitled America’s Favorite Architecture, adds the American public’s favorite buildings onto a user-editable map. The sites were selected by random AIA members, followed by a survey of the public.
By clicking on the icons overlayed on the America’s Favorite Architecture map, users can view texturized 3-D images of the nation’s most popular landmarks created with Google SketchUp, right down to the trees lining sidewalks and flags flanking their entrances.
With Blueprint for America, community service efforts funded by the AIA are also plotted onto a Google Earth map. Clicking on a location gives users additional details on AIA member/citizen programs that resolved community issues, such as homelessness, sustainable communities, and downtown revitalization.
The technology of adding data from one source onto the map of another company, most notably those from Google, is known as a “mash-up.”
Michael Jones, chief technologist for Google Earth and Google Maps, said “The AIA layers in Google Earth enable users to better visualize, understand and appreciate the world around them.”
To download Google Earth, visit http://earth.google.com. For more information on the AIA and Google Earth, visit www.AIA150.org.
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