Collaborative research visualizes the past at historical Spanish site
Left: The Golden Room Courtyard as it appeared in the 13th century and today. Right:
The courtyard around 1500.
Riverside, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2025) – The fusion of Western and Middle Eastern influences in Spanish architecture has long interested Keelan Kaiser, professor of architecture at California Baptist University.
In 2024, his sabbatical took him to southern Spain, where he studied regional architecture. During that time he also joined Universidad de Sevilla faculty in digitally reconstructing a long-lost element of the Alhambra, a 13th-century palace and fortress.
The project focused on the Golden Room Courtyard (Patio del Cuarto Dorado), where Kaiser and his Spanish colleagues re-created a balcony built by the Ferdinand and Isabella after they retook control of Granada in 1492.
During his sabbatical, Kaiser documented the site using a mix of traditional techniques, such as measured drawings and photography, and modern tools like photogrammetry to capture intricate architectural details.
While the Spanish team led the historical research, collecting archival photographs, paintings and drawings, Kaiser translated that data into digital models, renderings and 3D-printed reconstructions. Three architecture students — Hannah Schlecht, Nikolas Kaiser and Grace Akintimoye — assisted with his work.
The research was recently published in Heritage, an international peer-reviewed journal for professionals in conservation and architectural history.
We talked with him about the research. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What led to this study of the courtyard?
A: We know a lot about the Alhambra, but there's a lot of mystery around different parts of the complex. Nobody has looked into the balcony. It shows up in photographs and research, but it hasn’t been studied as to its purpose and why it’s no longer there. Over the centuries, the courtyard has had several iterations. When they redid this courtyard, they decided from a historic preservation perspective to do the 13th century version. So that brings up questions of conservation and preservation.
Q: What kind of questions?
A: What policies are used to decide which version of history is used in reconstruction efforts?
It's a complicated process when it comes to making conservation decisions. In Spain, it's different than the United States, because we have a shorter history. But we face similar kinds of questions. Which version of this building should be retained and conserved, and which version could be eliminated? We're looking at historic conservation and preservation.
Q: How could this research be used in conservation policies?
A: What may be perceived as historical to one person may not be perceived as authentic or historical to another person, so you need policies to guide preservation efforts. This would include the importance of thorough research into the history of buildings.
There are also a lot of financial, political and ethical considerations that go into conservation efforts. It's not always idealistic. If you're serious about conservation, then you have to be serious about finding ways to develop the economic resources necessary to conserve appropriately.
Q: How did involving students enhance their learning experience?
A: Most architecture students don't have a lot of opportunities to do historic preservation unless they pursue independent studies. This project gave three students a unique experience to do historically relevant work. Two had visited the Alhambra as part of CBU’s program, which deepened their connection. All gained experience, gave them an opportunity to work one-on-one with a professor, and added distinctive work to their portfolios.
Q: What do you hope readers and researchers take away from the article?
A: I hope it encourages more studies like this, especially since today’s tools make visualization and reconstruction easier and faster. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge about the Alhambra. I also think it has both academic and popular appeal.