How can digital technologies help document historic places and communicate their stories? This question guided a three-day FORWARD workshop held on 6–8 October 2026, bringing together digital documentation, virtual reality and AI-assisted storytelling.
The workshop, “Digital Documentation, AI and Immersive Storytelling for Urban Resilience,” was led by Dr. Ramzi Hassan, Head of the VR-Lab at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), in collaboration with An-Najah National University (ANNU) in Palestine. Organised as part of the FORWARD Erasmus+ project, the workshop was coordinated locally at ANNU by Dr. Allam Musa and Dr. Zahraa Zawawi.
Combining online lectures and demonstrations with onsite practical activities at ANNU, the programme introduced participants to methods for capturing, visualising and interpreting urban environments and cultural heritage. Topics included 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) using the XGRIDS PortalCam, mobile 3D scanning with Polycam, 360° photography and video, and immersive viewing through VR headsets.
The workshop also introduced AI-assisted historical reconstruction and visualisation, exploring how generative tools can support the interpretation and representation of historic places. Dr. Hassan presented a concept for an evaluative framework matrix to help participants critically assess the use of AI in historical reconstruction, with attention to historical evidence, interpretative choices and uncertainty. The discussion highlighted the importance of distinguishing documented evidence from interpretation and communicating uncertainty when using AI-generated visuals in cultural heritage storytelling.
Participants explored how these tools can connect site documentation with storytelling, from capturing spatial details and creating navigable environments to experiencing recorded places in VR. The final sessions on the third day featured three guest speakers who shared complementary perspectives on heritage and digital storytelling. Architect Naseer Arafat introduced the Old City of Nablus, providing context for the participants’ forthcoming projects. Generative AI visual expert Abdulrahman Alkhateeb shared his experience of using AI to tell the stories of Palestine, its history and its heritage. 3DGS expert Paolo Tosolini shared practical experiences and insights into capturing places using 3D Gaussian Splatting.
Working in groups, participants will apply selected technologies to document and interpret a specific site from the Old City of Nablus by combining digital capture, visualisation and storytelling. Final presentations of this groups project phase are planned for December 2026.