Carnegie Free Library
Pointknown provided reality capture and existing-conditions modeling services for the historic Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny as part of its transformation into MuseumLab, an extension of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh created for older youth focused on art, technology, and creative exploration. The project required accurate documentation of a 45,000-square-foot historic structure to support adaptive reuse planning and future design work.
Capture that supports the building and the site around it.
For adaptive reuse work, the building is only part of the story. Access, entries, surrounding grades, sidewalks, and site context all shape how a project moves forward.
Terrestrial + SLAM capture, working together
Pointknown used a combination of high-definition terrestrial laser scanning and SLAM-based mobile scanning to document the building efficiently and thoroughly. Terrestrial scans were used to capture key exterior and interior conditions with precision. SLAM scanning helped cover the full interior more efficiently. The datasets were then registered into a unified point cloud and used to build the Revit existing conditions model.
Early model / section view showing the building’s complex vertical relationships.
A Civic Building with another chapter ahead
The former Carnegie library became MuseumLab — a place for older youth to keep creating, experimenting, and learning.
Pointknown existing conditions Revit model of the Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny.
Measured for a new public life
Some projects stand out because the work goes beyond documentation. This was one of them.
The former Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny was being transformed into MuseumLab, an extension of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh created for older youth to explore art, technology, making, and creative learning.
Pointknown was brought in to document the building and create a reliable Revit model of the existing conditions so the design team could move confidently into planning and design.
A complete existing conditions package, from reality capture to usable deliverables.
This project combined high-definition terrestrial scanning and SLAM capture workflows to balance precision and efficiency. Terrestrial scans documented key architectural elements with a high degree of detail, while mobile scanning accelerated broader interior coverage. Together, the datasets created a coordinated representation of the building that enabled architects and planners to move from documentation directly into design.
Architectural rendering created from the Pointknown Revit model, shown in Allegheny Square context.
Updated existing conditions Revit model view.
Existing conditions floor plan developed from the model.
Architectural section output from the Revit documentation.
Exterior tower photograph showing Romanesque Revival stone detail.
Exterior photograph showing the building in its Pittsburgh context.
Aerial context view of the Carnegie Free Library at Allegheny Square.
Historic image showing the building’s long civic presence.
Early model view showing the tower, stairs, and main building massing.
Roof and rear massing captured in the existing conditions model.
Aerial model view showing roof geometry and internal massing relationships.
Primary entry, stairs, turrets, and arched façade conditions.
The value is not in the scan itself. It is in what your team can do next.
Design-ready deliverables
Measured information is structured into clean Revit and CAD outputs so architects, owners, and developers can move quickly.
Clear communication
Pointknown focuses on clarity. The process stays in the background. The usable result stays front and center.
One source of truth
A single field effort supports visualization, planning, modeling, and documentation—without repeated site visits or fragmented information.
If you are planning, renovating, leasing, or evaluating a building, clear existing conditions matter.
Pointknown helps design teams and property stakeholders move forward with confidence by turning existing buildings into usable, decision-ready information.