“The Awakening” is a 70-foot sculpture by J. Seward Johnson that depicts a man struggling to free himself from the earth. The installation, which has been a landmark for nearly three decades in Washington D.C.’s Hains Point, is comprised of five aluminum body parts: a right foot, a left knee, a right arm, a left hand, and a bearded face. It was originally installed in 1980 and became a well-recognized attraction next to the Potomac River. It has been on loan to the U.S. Park Service by the artist.

In 2007, the piece was sold to a developer and it became necessary for the sculpture to be moved.

Moving the sculpture and reinstalling it in its intended orientation proved to be a true logistical and spatial challenge. Jon Lash, CEO of Digital Atelier, called on Direct Dimensions Inc. to find an affordable and accurate solution to document “The Awakening” in its exact current state and provide him with a 3-D plot showing the intersections of the sculpture’s mating surface with the ground. The plot would then be used to prepare the new site to receive the sculpture in its original configuration.

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