Building Knowledge in 3D: SUTD Library’s Approach To Preserving 3D Prototypes

Abstract

At Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD) where hands-on prototyping is central to learning, students create thousands of physical models each year. However, without a structured archival system, these works are lost, inaccessible, or difficult to reference, limiting their long-term educational and research value. Unlike traditional academic outputs, physical models cannot be stored in text-based repositories alone.

The SUTD Library is adapting digital preservation methods to capture, archive, and display physical and born-digital 3D student work. Instead of relying on expensive commercial solutions, the library is developing low-cost, accessible 3D scanning stations designed for easy use. Scanned models will be processed, meta-tagged, and stored in a structured digital portfolio linked to the SUTD Institutional Repository, ensuring they remain searchable and reusable for learning, research, and collaboration.

By repurposing library archiving strategies for a prototyping-based curriculum, this initiative ensures that hands-on student innovation is preserved, shared, and utilized. Looking ahead, these digital models could be possibly integrated into the metaverse, showcased in virtual exhibitions, and explored via AR/VR - expanding how knowledge is accessed and interacted with. This project redefines the library’s role in digital preservation, sustaining knowledge in both physical and immersive digital environments.