Case Study: Broomfield South SILC, Leeds | Photogrammetry, 360° Point Cloud & Existing-Condition Survey
Supporting Tilbury Douglas and the Wider Technical-Design Team
Project at a Glance
- One coordinated visit: external photogrammetry, internal and external 360° capture, point-cloud data, ECW door measurements and ceiling-void documentation.
- Next-day access: the 360° tour was captured on Wednesday and handed over on Thursday.
- Design-ready context: visible rooms, elevations, openings and concealed MEP/data services recorded in their spatial context.
- Less disruption: authorised stakeholders can revisit and measure the school remotely instead of repeatedly returning to a live SEND setting.
Project Overview
Rotorgraph Surveys Ltd was commissioned by Tilbury Douglas to undertake a comprehensive existing-condition survey at Broomfield South SILC in Leeds.
The survey supports the technical-design phase of the proposed redevelopment of this important Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre. Leeds City Council’s published plans describe a rebuild and expansion providing 100 additional pupil places, with the rebuilt main site and additional places currently proposed to open in September 2027.
A project of this complexity required considerably more than a conventional photographic record. The design and construction teams needed a coordinated digital record covering the external buildings and roofs, internal rooms and circulation areas, door openings and services concealed above suspended ceilings.
Rotorgraph combined drone photogrammetry, internal and external 360° point-cloud capture, measurable digital-twin technology and physical door measurements to create a shared source of existing-condition information.
Why the Redevelopment Matters
Broomfield is an all-age special school serving South Leeds and supporting young people with a wide range of learning, physical, medical, communication and sensory needs. Leeds City Council has approved proposals to permanently expand the school as part of a rebuild, with the rebuilt main site and additional places proposed to open in September 2027.
The official contract award notice describes an expansion of 100 pupil places. Its proposed scope includes replacing the existing main building, remodelling another existing building and delivering extensive external works, including new play and learning areas, an expanded staff car park and the re-provision of displaced public open space. Published design information also describes specialist teaching accommodation, therapy spaces, a sports hall, improved minibus access and measures intended to ease congestion around the site.
Local reporting on council papers records £400,000 for early planning and design activity and describes an overall programme of up to £25 million. Separately, the public procurement notice records an awarded Tilbury Douglas package valued at approximately £1.05 million. These figures relate to different parts of the programme and should not be read as the same project value.
For a scheme combining demolition, replacement, retained-building alterations and significant external works, reliable knowledge of the existing estate is fundamental. Rotorgraph’s coordinated survey gives the contractor and consultant team a common evidence base before detailed decisions are made.
Project Objectives
The primary objective was to provide Tilbury Douglas and the wider consultant team with accessible, measurable information to support design development and coordination.
Key objectives included:
- Create a comprehensive visual and spatial record of the existing school.
- Capture the buildings, roofs, elevations and surrounding site through drone photogrammetry.
- Provide internal and external 360° coverage for remote review.
- Generate point-cloud data to support updated floor plans and design information.
- Record Effective Clear Width measurements for internal and external doors.
- Document electrical, plumbing, ventilation, data and Ethernet services above suspended ceilings.
- Reduce reliance on fragmented photographs, handwritten notes and repeat site visits.
- Provide different design disciplines with a shared visual reference.
The Survey Challenge
Schools are complex buildings containing classrooms, specialist teaching areas, offices, circulation routes, external spaces and extensive building-services infrastructure.
Much of the information required during technical design is not immediately visible. Electrical installations, plumbing, ductwork, cable containment, data cabling and other services can be concealed above suspended ceilings. Conventional photographs often record these elements without enough spatial context to show how the systems relate to the room or surrounding building.
The door survey also required more than a simple record of nominal door sizes. Effective Clear Widths needed to be measured consistently across internal and external openings to support accessibility review, door schedules and design coordination.
The external survey presented a different requirement: capturing sufficient overlapping aerial imagery to produce a detailed photogrammetric record of the buildings, roof areas, elevations and site context.
Our Coordinated Approach
Rotorgraph planned the work as a single coordinated survey programme, allowing several complementary datasets to be captured during the same site attendance.
The internal and external spaces were systematically recorded using professional 360° point-cloud equipment. This created a navigable digital twin through which authorised project stakeholders can revisit rooms, corridors and external areas remotely, inspect existing conditions and undertake measurements.
External drone operations captured the overlapping imagery required for photogrammetric processing. The resulting dataset is being developed into detailed spatial outputs covering the school buildings, roofs, elevations and surrounding site.
Alongside the digital capture, Effective Clear Width measurements were recorded for internal and external doors. These measurements provide a consistent schedule of the usable clear opening rather than relying solely on nominal leaf dimensions.
