- 994. - 
USE OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN BUILDING STUDIES. 
Anne Marie Wilhelmsen. Department of Building Construction. 
Chalmers University of Technology. Goteborg. Sweden. 
Remote sensing is a very useful aid in physical planning when a picture 
of the existing situation is needed as a working basis. It is easy to 
understand that remote sensing has been widely used in regional planning 
which deals with Land use and development of earth resources. 
In detailed planning» however. the need for information about the 
existing situation has hitherto not been fully realized. The planners 
of yesterday did not pay much regard to the existing environment - 
the planning dealt with future buildings. This fact was due to a more 
or less consciously optimistic evolutional conception. The earth 
resources were looked upon as infinite and indestructible. But this 
outlook has changed. The cene.al public; including architects and 
planners, is now conscious of the fact that our resources are transient, 
often Limited and in many cases more or less destroyed by earlier human 
acting. Existing resources must be protected and utilized. This is true 
in every sphere; and the consequences among planners is that existing 
buildings and environment are more valued as a resource. Furthermore: 
old buildings are getting more appreciated as part of the environment - 
not only houses with acknowledged cultural and historical value. 
In the future, we will build fewer new houses but work more with main- 
tenance and renovation in existing buildings. Consciousness of limited 
energy resources and the need to Limit damage done by traffic noise in 
residential areas are only two examples of phenomena influencing the 
volume of activity in the built environment. In Sweden. a Lot of money 
and work will be spent on energy conservation in existing buildings 
during the next ten years. This means a great need to know more about 
these buildings. 
Information is also essential in many branches other than traditional 
building planning. Defence planning. fire defence. public service. 
medical and health care are only a few examples.