3D Printing, Architectural Heritage and Social Inclusion

The dissemination of architectural heritage is a necessary action for society to understand, value and support its study and conservation. The social inclusion in the field of knowledge requires investment in resources and the involvement of the institutions in charge of said dissemination. Advances in digital production technology are facilitating the development of more accessible and cost-effective learning materials. This research paper discusses a 3D printed representative experience of heritage for the visually impaired. The Chapel of San Ildefonso at the University of Alcalá is used as a case study, where the façade, the main coffered ceiling, the altarpiece, and the sepulchre of Cardinal Cisneros all stand out. We will see that the adaptation of digital models for the use intended here requires a series of decisions to be made, from an artistic point of view, from an architectural point of view, as well as from a purely technical point of view, which will all condition the adaptation of the result. Among these we must identity the difficulty of choosing the scale, the size of the copy and the method used to convey they original to the user, as these are all determining factors for the success of these means of dissemination and knowledge.