3D Laser Scanning of Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park Houston, Tx

Arrival 3D conducted a comprehensive 3D laser scanning survey of the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Houston, Texas, one of the city’s most iconic architectural landmarks. Located in the Uptown District across from Williams Tower, the park features a dramatic 64-foot-tall semicircular waterwall fountain surrounded by landscaped green space and live oak trees.

The objective of this project was to capture highly accurate spatial data of the park and its central waterwall structure to support digital documentation, preservation, and future architectural or maintenance planning.

Scope of Work

Arrival 3D deployed advanced LiDAR-based 3D laser scanning technology to capture the complex geometry of the fountain, surrounding pathways, landscaping, and adjacent urban features. Millions of high-density data points were collected to generate a precise point cloud dataset representing the entire site.

The scanning process included:

• High-resolution scanning of the 64-foot architectural waterwall structure

• Capturing surrounding park features, including walkways, landscaping, and structural elements

• Registering multiple scan positions to ensure complete coverage and millimeter-level accuracy

• Generating a consolidated registered point cloud dataset for modeling and analysis

Deliverables:

Arrival 3D delivered a complete reality capture dataset, which can support:

• As-built documentation

• Architectural modeling

• Digital twin creation

• Structural inspection and maintenance planning

• Visualization and heritage documentation

Project Challenges: 

The Waterwall is an active urban attraction with continuous cascading water flowing over its curved structure, creating challenges such as water movement, reflective surfaces, and public activity. Careful scan planning and multiple scan setups were required to ensure accurate capture while minimizing data noise from moving water.