Invitation: Technology-Driven Disaster Response: Insights from the Beirut 2020 Explosion
Thursday, February 29th at 3:00 pm EST (Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS)
To CIPA Members in the Ottawa, Ontario, Canada region:
You are invited to join us for an in-person, special lecture by Joe Kallas, titled Technology-Driven Disaster Response: Insights from the Beirut 2020 Explosion at the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) on Thursday, February 29th at 3:00 pm. The lecture is being hosted in collaboration by CIMS and CIPA Heritage Documentation.
Registration: https://bit.ly/CIMS-CIPA-Kallas
Abstract
Historic sites and cultural landmarks face increasing threats from disasters, highlighting the urgency of their conservation. The Beirut explosion in August 2020, ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and Türkiye-Syria earthquakes in 2023 exemplify this. Often, inadequate disaster preparedness hampers recovery efforts, and damaged heritage sites face slow restoration. This presentation introduces a methodology using digital technology for rapid assessment of historical structures post-disaster. Focusing on the Beirut Blast case study, it discusses the benefits of 3D image-based modeling in disaster recovery and decision-making. This approach accelerates the transition to recovery, emphasizing digital technology’s critical role in protecting cultural heritage against unforeseen disasters.
Historic sites and cultural landmarks face increasing threats from disasters, highlighting the urgency of their conservation. The Beirut explosion in August 2020, ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and Türkiye-Syria earthquakes in 2023 exemplify this. Often, inadequate disaster preparedness hampers recovery efforts, and damaged heritage sites face slow restoration. This presentation introduces a methodology using digital technology for rapid assessment of historical structures post-disaster. Focusing on the Beirut Blast case study, it discusses the benefits of 3D image-based modeling in disaster recovery and decision-making. This approach accelerates the transition to recovery, emphasizing digital technology’s critical role in protecting cultural heritage against unforeseen disasters.
Bio
Joe Kallas is an architect and cultural heritage specialist with significant experience in disaster response and reconnaissance missions. As an Expert Member of CIPA Heritage Documentation and a member of ICOMOS Lebanon, he effectively utilizes digital technology to support recovery efforts in post-disaster areas. Also serving as a UNESCO international expert, Joe contributes to heritage preservation in disaster-affected areas such as Beirut, Ukraine, and Syria. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Penn State University, where he focuses on integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning with 3D structural assessments to improve disaster reconnaissance and enhance building resilience.
The lecture will be followed by coffee and refreshments, and we encourage you to stay and continue the conversation with Joe and other colleagues in the field of cultural heritage, documentation, architecture, and engineering.
Please register for the event through the following link, and note that this will be an in-person event with limited capacity, and the lecture will not be recorded: https://bit.ly/CIMS-CIPA-
We look forward to seeing you at CIMS on the 29th.
CIMS, Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
