Capturing the Agios Achilios of Pentalofos is an interdisciplinary heritage documentation project led by Utah Valley University’s Architecture and Digital Media programs in collaboration with local partners in Pentalofos, Greece. The project combines traditional architectural surveying with advanced technologies—including LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, and extended reality (XR)—to digitally document and interpret the historic church of Agios Achilios. Through hands-on fieldwork and immersive digital reconstruction, UVU students gain real-world experience in cultural heritage preservation while contributing to the long-term safeguarding and global accessibility of an important historic site. The project supports UNESCO’s goals for quality education, sustainable communities, and international partnerships by linking education, technology, and community-based cultural stewardship.
Aliki Milioti
Michael Harper
I’ve always been a believer of hands-on learning, the practical experience that a project like this can provide to a person cannot be substituted in a classroom. These trips give the students a chance to truly understand their work in a completely unique and new context outside of school.
There is so much to learn about a culture, a place, a people, and their architecture when you actually have your boots on the ground.
Not many students get the chance to work on something of this cultural and historical importance, and it gave me confidence and experience that I’ll carry into my future career.
There are some things that you just can’t learn unless you experience it for yourself. You develop the skills needed to overcome these problems, and learn how to troubleshoot while also moving forward.
