Westcott House: Reimagining Space

Westcott House, where Alan Turing stayed during his time at Sherborne School, provided the setting for an activity bringing together property, technology and creative thinking.

For Sherborne's Turing Tech Fest, we created an immersive experience that invited learners to explore the building, look beyond its existing appearance and develop their own ideas for its spaces.

The challenge

A photograph captures a view, but it can be difficult to understand how rooms connect or imagine how a space might feel with a different use. We wanted to make the building easier to explore and give learners a practical starting point for discussion and design.

What we did

We scanned Westcott House to create a digital copy: an interactive digital representation of the existing building. This allowed participants to explore its rooms remotely and understand the spaces in context.

We combined the tour with creative visualisations and an activity built around four stages:

• Explore: discover the existing rooms and their features.
• Imagine: consider different uses and possibilities.
• Create: develop ideas using digital tools and AI-assisted visualisation.
• Inspire: share ideas and build on other people's thinking.

One example reimagined a room as a games and social space, with a pool table, comfortable seating and atmospheric lighting. Recognisable features of the original room helped connect the concept to the real place.

The visualisations were creative exercises rather than designs assessed for construction or consent.

What happened

At the event, learners explored the spaces, developed their own interpretations and shared ideas with one another. The building became a shared reference point for conversations about how spaces could look, feel and be used.

For our team, the value was in seeing participants engage with a place, use their imagination and inspire each other. The experience demonstrated how a digital twin can support participation and learning as well as record a building.

The value for building owners

This approach can help owners and organisations explain existing spaces and discuss their potential with people who cannot visit, or who find conventional plans difficult to interpret.

Possible applications include community consultation, education, heritage interpretation, fundraising and early conversations about future use. A shared view of the existing building gives those discussions a useful starting point.

Explore the possibilities for your building

Statement Property Group combines property expertise with digital scanning and visualisation to help you understand, explain and explore your space.

Discuss your project: hello@statementproperty.co.uk | 01935 319 777

How do you help people see the possibilities in a building?