Creating Matterport virtual tours for Bromley Council involved several buildings, one with more than ten floors, and a working environment where office activity continued throughout capture. 360 View coordinated scanning around access and availability, moving between buildings and returning on different days to complete the required spaces.
The project was designed for internal operational use. Separate Matterport models were connected through links, allowing users to follow routes between buildings while retaining a manageable, detailed view of each environment. The purpose was practical: help teams understand the estate, plan work and discuss spaces using a shared visual reference.
Matterport Capture Across Large, Complex Buildings
The Bromley Council project covered several interconnected buildings, including one building alone spanning more than 10 floors and over 100,000 sq ft. At this scale, useful coverage needs to show how rooms, corridors, entrances and floors connect. Our Matterport capture was planned around the council’s staff navigation and building management needs, giving teams a visual reference for exploring both communal areas and important technical rooms. The project demonstrates 360 View’s experience in capturing large, complex buildings for practical operational use.
Understanding the buildings and the work they needed to support
Bromley Council was undergoing an internal reorganisation involving office moves and a new town centre location. Its teams needed to understand spaces across several large buildings, including their floors, connecting routes and parking areas.
That made the brief more involved than producing a walkthrough of individual rooms. The digital twins needed to help people understand where spaces were, how they related to one another and how they could support the council’s operational needs.
Office allocation, refurbishment planning, internal coordination and staff familiarisation were among the intended uses. Understanding those requirements helped shape both the capture plan and the way the finished models were connected.
Capturing occupied offices required a flexible plan
Access to a working council estate changes throughout the day. Staff need to carry on working, meetings take place and contractors may be moving equipment through an area that needs to be scanned.
We coordinated with operational teams to identify when particular spaces would be available. When one area was occupied, we moved to another floor or building and continued capture there. Several Matterport models were therefore developed alongside one another, with return visits to complete areas as access became possible.
This required us to maintain a clear view of what had been captured, what remained outstanding and where work could continue. The scanning schedule followed the realities of the site rather than expecting every building to be available in one uninterrupted session.
For organisations planning a similar project, this is an important part of the brief. Access arrangements and daily operations influence how capture should be organised just as much as the size of the property.
Connecting separate Matterport models into a logical journey
Across an estate of this scale, the structure of the finished tours matters. Users need to understand the building they are exploring and find the route into the next relevant space.
We organised the Bromley Council project into separate Matterport models and linked them at connecting points. A user reaching a connection could open the corresponding model for the next building, with a route back into the previous environment.
Each model retained its own 3D Dollhouse view, helping users understand its layout. The connections provided continuity between buildings without requiring the entire estate to be presented as one model.
This approach brought two needs together: detailed exploration within individual buildings and understandable navigation across the wider site.
Including the routes around the buildings
The capture scope extended beyond office interiors. We also captured car parks, surrounding public streets and internal drives leading to parking areas and the loading bay.
These spaces provide important context. A building’s entrance, approach and relationship to nearby access routes can be as relevant to planning as the rooms inside it.
Including the exterior environment helped document how the site fitted together, supporting a broader understanding of arrival routes, parking and access between buildings.
A visual reference for internal planning and collaboration
The Bromley Council digital twins were created to support work behind the scenes. Their value lay in making spaces available to explore and discuss without every conversation needing to begin with a physical walkthrough.
For office planning, the models provided a way to review room layouts, circulation and the relationship between neighbouring spaces. During refurbishment and maintenance discussions, they could give council teams and contractors a common visual reference for the area under consideration.
Staff familiarisation was another intended use. Exploring a building before moving into it can support introductions to an unfamiliar workplace and help people understand routes between departments and shared spaces.
Visual information and measurements can also support early planning discussions. The required level of measurement detail should be agreed around the task, with any dimensions critical to construction or installation checked through the appropriate survey or site verification.
These are distinct requirements. A useful digital twin starts with understanding who will use it and what they need to establish from it.
Internal use, privacy and access
The Bromley Council Matterport models are private and are not embedded in this case study. The article explains the capture and navigation approach without making the council’s internal spaces publicly accessible.
An internal council project has a different audience from a public virtual tour promoting a hotel or showroom. The intended users and the information they need to see should shape the delivery.
For Bromley Council, internal operational use was central to the brief. Privacy and access therefore belong in the planning conversation alongside coverage and navigation.
For similar projects, we discuss who needs access, what information should be included and how the finished models will be shared. Public presentation and internal collaboration should each be planned around their intended audience.
Planning Matterport capture around what the client needs
For Bromley Council, the Matterport digital twins were intended to support internal understanding and planning across several buildings. That purpose shaped the capture: which spaces needed coverage, how routes connected and how users would move between the finished models.
At 360 View, we start by understanding what your teams need from a digital twin. A facilities team reviewing a working area needs a different emphasis from a hotel presenting its guest experience. We plan the capture positions, coverage and navigation around those requirements.
The aim is to show the information that matters from useful angles and perspectives. A space should be understandable to someone exploring remotely, including its layout, relevant features and relationship to the areas around it.
Capture quality and navigation deserve equal attention
Clear imagery is part of a useful Matterport virtual tour. So is being able to move through it naturally and understand what you are looking at.
Our experienced technicians consider camera placement, sightlines and transitions between spaces throughout capture. Where a project requires closer visual detail, we plan viewpoints around the features the client needs to inspect. Where the priority is orientation, we pay particular attention to routes, entrances and connections.
Before delivery, we review the presentation and navigation against the agreed project requirements. For an estate made up of separate Matterport models, that includes checking that the links between models take users to the intended environment.
Support beyond the completed scan
We also plan for what happens when the Matterport tours are ready. Clients may need help sharing the models with the right people, understanding navigation or identifying how to approach future changes.
360 View provides support with using the delivered tours and discussing any further requirements. If a building changes or additional coverage is needed, we can review the scope of an update or return visit.
For a wider view of how we support councils and public organisations, explore our virtual tour services for government and public sector buildings.
Questions about planning Matterport scanning in complex buildings
Can 360 View scan our offices at night or at weekends?
Yes. We can carry out Matterport office scanning at night, at weekends, before opening or after closing. We agree the timing around your staff, customers and building access.
Does someone need to stay with your Matterport technician during scanning?
Usually, no. Once our Matterport technician knows what to capture and has access to the agreed spaces, we work independently. We only need a contact for occasional questions or access assistance.
Can you scan restricted rooms that require a staff escort?
Yes. Where your organisation requires an authorised escort for Matterport scanning, we arrange access with the appropriate staff member. Your security procedures determine how we work in restricted areas.
Can Matterport scanning take place while our building remains in use?
Yes, where suitable areas are available. We can scan one part of a building while other spaces remain occupied. At Bromley Council, we moved between buildings and returned as access became available.
How do you manage Matterport scanning across several buildings?
We agree the coverage and access arrangements before scanning, then track completed areas across buildings and visits. We also plan how the separate Matterport tours will connect so users can follow logical routes between spaces.
Can you return to complete Matterport scanning if rooms are unavailable?
Yes. We can plan return visits around rooms becoming available. If an unexpected access restriction changes the agreed Matterport capture schedule or cost, we discuss it with you before proceeding.
How do you make a Matterport digital twin useful for our teams?
We establish what your teams need to see and understand before capture. That guides our viewpoints, coverage and navigation, whether the Matterport digital twin is intended for staff familiarisation, facilities planning or contractor discussions.
What do we need to prepare before Matterport office scanning?
Arrange access to the agreed spaces, identify any restricted areas and put away confidential documents or sensitive screen content. With a nominated contact available for questions, our technicians can manage the capture without continuous staff assistance.
Planning Matterport capture across your estate?
If your project involves several buildings, occupied offices or access that changes throughout the day, contact 360 View to discuss the requirements.
Share the spaces involved, the purpose of the digital twins and any operational constraints. We can help plan capture around your organisation and organise the finished models for the people who need to use them.
For capture pricing and further work examples, see our Matterport virtual tours.
