Technology

Digital software helps ensure the sustainability of social spaces.

The Scott Outdoor Amphitheater of Swarthmore College

Technology is not a competitor of social infrastructure, but a partner. SSM used surveying technology to help Swarthmore College pursue improvements to their 50-year-old outdoor amphitheater. Using high-definition laser scanning software, SSM was able to capture the existing structure and landscape in a digital, 3-D version. This capture was then available for the project team to design potential renovations to the amphitheater and view the effects of their design on the existing landscapes.

The Scott Outdoor Amphitheater is a free outdoor structure, offering a space for human connections to occur year-round. Like many amphitheaters, it is a space for people to come together, communicate, and connect. Events held in amphitheaters invite social interactions and establish personal relationships. Every year, rain or shine, the Swarthmore commencement is held in this very space.