With Nova Scotia's landmark buildings empty of people, Halifax startup Smarter Spaces has begun scanning and creating 3D virtual tours of heritage buildings, cultural sites and educational facilities.

The company is working to animate sites for house-bound audiences and to create tools that help organizations promote themselves online. The venture has already created a 3D tour of the Maud Lewis exhibit for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and recently scanned Sacred Heart School to create a 3D online tour for prospective students.

“Now that people can’t physically tour buildings, cultural sites, or educational facilities, our technology can create a 3D virtual experience that’s the next best thing,” CEO Colin Gillis said in a statement.  “The goal is to bring people virtually, and eventually physically, to our doorstep.”

The company’s 3D scanning equipment allows architectural and cultural features to be captured in detail, including elements like posters or plaques that provide written history, or small details and textures in a painting or sculpture. The technology can also move between locations allowing viewers to tour a university campus or visit buildings, for example, at the Fortress of Louisbourg. 

Last August, Smarter Spaces received a $321,000 loan from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. At the time, Gillis said the funding would allow the company, founded in 2016, to add to its staff of eight and grow the business. The venture had recently scanned the World Trade and Convention Centre on Argyle Street to create fresh, up-to-date images.