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Purpose/Impact
The team uncovered a rich history of the vaults. They were built circa 1859 at the site to age and store the beer of an adjacent Schnaderbeck Brewery, belonging to a German immigrant, Sebastian Schnaderbeck. Records indicate the brewery was one of only four breweries built at that time in Brooklyn, and operated for approximately a decade.
Outcomes/Accomplishments
This story has been covered in multiple news outlets, including the New York Times, Brooklyn News 12, NBC News, NYU’s Institute for Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), among others. The report Bergoffen produced is now public record and available via the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the New York State Historic Preservation Office, and the 3D model is available on Sketchfab. Although the vaults were deemed a historically significant site, and Bergoffen made suggestions for their preservation and use, the city permitted the construction of the affordable housing apartment building to continue.


Status Update
The software Matthias Kolbe used to create the 3D model, Agisoft (soon to be renamed Metashape), was introduced by Dr. Bergoffen to FIT for its use in modeling objects and interior spaces–where additional possibilities are being explored.