Residential | Commerical | Industrial
Saks Fifth Avenue is one of New York City’s most recognized retail landmarks, occupying a full city block directly across from Rockefeller Center and adjacent to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Pointknown was engaged to document the building’s exterior and key interior spaces, producing a comprehensive Revit model to support ongoing planning, renovation, and long-term asset management.
Scope of Work
Full exterior documentation of an entire city block
Interior capture of primary retail areas and circulation zones
Column grid and structural layout development
Detailed modeling of stair cores and vertical circulation
Select interior environments including café spaces overlooking Rockefeller Center
Integration of multi-source data into a unified Revit model
Approach
This project was completed prior to the adoption of mobile SLAM systems, requiring a hybrid approach combining traditional field methods with high-precision terrestrial laser scanning.
Exterior data was captured overnight using a Leica ScanStation P20 in collaboration with Langan Engineering to minimize disruption along Fifth Avenue.
Interior layouts and architectural details were developed using Pointknown’s early-stage proprietary tooling, forming the foundation of what would later evolve into our PKNAIL workflow.
Extensive photo documentation was used to supplement field measurements and ensure accuracy across complex interior conditions.
Results
The final deliverable was a fully coordinated Revit model representing both the exterior envelope and interior systems of the building.
The model provided:
Reliable column grid alignment across the full structure
Accurate vertical circulation and core relationships
Clean, design-ready geometry for downstream architectural use
A consistent digital baseline for future renovation and planning efforts
Working on Saks Fifth Avenue places you at the center of Manhattan’s architectural and cultural landscape.
Fieldwork extended from street level along Fifth Avenue to rooftop access with direct views over Rockefeller Center—an uncommon vantage point on one of the most active corridors in New York City.
Projects like this established the foundation for how we approach complex, occupied environments today.
Long before mobile capture streamlined workflows, the focus was the same:
create accurate, dependable building data that design teams can trust.
Measured. Results.