The recording and documenting of heritage sites provide an excellent record of conditions that have potential to degrade or transform. 

 

Historical elements and buildings may be hidden or altered through renovations and maintenance, be destroyed by natural occurrences, or be inaccessible to the public due to geographical limitations. 

 

The records become the only method for scholars and the public to access the site. Drawings, pointclouds, and digital models are excellent at replicating the proportional and aesthetic relationship of the site or building, however, the experience of inhabiting the site is missing.