This is the data visualization for our project—a story map. However, there is an issue with the embedding on this page. The 3D models are not loading correctly. Here’s the link to our mostly completed story map.
For our final project, we aim to illustrate the history of Carleton College’s buildings by comparing the daily lives of students in 1916 and 2016. By leveraging story mapping and 3D modeling, we seek to provide an interactive and immersive experience that helps users visualize how the campus and student life have evolved over time.
To build our project, we first utilized the Carleton College Street and Infrastructure layer and map as our base dataset. Using ArcGIS, we developed 3D models of key campus buildings. While these models are intentionally simplified and not highly detailed, they serve as useful visual aids, allowing users to better locate buildings in their historical and present-day contexts. The 3D representations also help illustrate spatial relationships between structures, making it easier to understand how the campus layout has changed over time.
In addition to the 3D models, we created a story map by capturing scenes of selected buildings in ArcGIS and embedding them into interactive slides. These slides feature 3D visualizations alongside historical and contemporary images, offering a direct comparison of how each building has evolved. Our primary sources for these images come from the Carleton College Building History. Each slide in the story map presents a 3D model of a specific building, either from 1916 or 2016, along with a corresponding historical or modern photograph. The accompanying narrative text describes what a student might have experienced in that building during the respective time period. Additionally, each slide includes a historical overview, detailing how the building’s function, structure, or significance has evolved over the years.
This project primarily serves as an explanatory visualization, as it presents a structured narrative that walks users through Carleton’s architectural transformation over time. However, it also includes exploratory elements, allowing viewers to interact with 3D building models and navigate different perspectives of the campus. This combination of storytelling and interactivity enhances engagement and encourages deeper inquiry into Carleton’s history.
