The world of architecture is a captivating fusion of artistic expression and scientific precision. My journey in the realm of architecture started with a profound exploration of its rich history. It was the awe-inspiring works of Renaissance masters that propelled me onto a transformative trajectory, guiding me toward harnessing the immense potential of artificial intelligence and algorithms in architectural design.
In 2022, a wider audience gained access to unexpectedly powerful AI tools, including Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and DALL-E 2 for text-to-image generation, as well as the human-like chatbot OpenGPT.
One year later, pundits, organizations, and governments have stated these technologies will pose profound risks to society and humanity—from automation-spurred job loss to disrupting democratic processes to the automatization of weapons.
Architecture is a unique field that combines equally constant aesthetic and functional needs, while immersed in dynamic technological environments. At this juncture, design processes and buildings are becoming increasingly intricate, requiring architects to manage projects efficiently while fostering multidisciplinary and multi-level collaboration throughout workflows. Additionally, the new technologies and tools we employ in the process must evolve at the same pace —sometimes even faster— by embracing aspects such as sustainability and efficiency, all while keeping an eye on the future.
The tools available in the multidisciplinary architectural environment have evolved significantly quickly. Both students and experienced architects have now nearly completely transitioned from manual methods to computer-aided drafting software. Today, we find ourselves immersed in the era of architecture driven by technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), artificial intelligence, and digital processes. At the same time, the fundamentals of BIM and its historical background trace back to the early days of computing, research, and new technologies, which sparked a rapid evolution within the AEC industry and among its professionals.
Singapore’s Science Center recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new building, designed to promote STEM education in all of Singapore. Situated adjacent to the Chinese Garden MRT station, this state-of-the-art facility designed by world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects aims to become a landmark attraction in the Jurong Lake District. The new 55,000 sqm center is expected to open around the end of 2027, coinciding with its 50th anniversary.
This article is the sixth in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints.
Artificial Intelligence is at the genesis of creating fundamental changes in the way we design and construct buildings and cities. Some of these changes will be abrupt and disruptive to normative practice. Others will take more time to feel the effect of this new technology, but the change will be pervasive. When combined with the Metaverse, AI will also offer vast opportunities for the profession to expand and grow. The kinds of spaces and environments we design in the Metaverse will be, in some aspects, very different from what we currently design in the physical world alone. AI evolves every day, and we are compelled to learn while we innovate. AI has proven it is a powerful tool to assist designers and offers the potential to challenge us to alter our design process. Combining AI with narrative design is one of those challenges.
Will Artificial Intelligence replace architects in their roles? In the May 2023 edition of Building magazine, Thomas Lane suggests that AI has the potential to automate up to 37% of the tasks typically carried out by architects and engineers. This automation, though, is likely to target routine and less creative tasks, allowing professionals to concentrate on more strategic and imaginative aspects of their work.
Just as Revit and 3D software did not replace architects but only transformed their workflows, the same principle holds for AI tools. AI is poised to bring about new tasks, such as AI management, alongside existing responsibilities, signaling a shift in how architects work.
Rayon, an innovative online design tool that aims to create a new collaborative approach to developing "mundane buildings" within the city, has been selected as part of ArchDaily's 2023 Best New Practices. Founded in 2021 by Bastien Dolla and Stanislas Chaillou, it is a collaborative design software that brings together professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. The software company believes that there is a “culture of the ordinary” in architecture. This culture represents an ecosystem of buildings that may seem unremarkable or aren't impressive landmarks in the city. However, these buildings and their construction professionals make up 90% of the urban fabric and contribute to the design culture that collectively gives identity to the city. The founders believe previous software generations have neglected this culture and propose Rayon as a novel tool to fill that gap by enhancing collaboration and user ergonomics.
During July, we delved into the Design Process as our monthly topic. Inspired by practices that intersect various uncommon layers in their creations, we talked with architect Guto Requena. When designing, his studio experiments with different digital technologies through a sustainable lens and with a keen eye on social issues, aiming to deliver innovative and emotional experiences. Today, the architect boasts numerous national and international awards, including the ArchDaily Building of the Year and the UNESCO Prix Versailles.
In the interview, Requena shares his journey, highlighting the diversity of his team as a critical innovation point in his firm. He also addresses crucial questions about fostering innovation and creativity with new materials in architecture, among other topics.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to shape the future of architecture. As the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) industry rapidly evolves, AI matches the momentum. With these simultaneous evolutions, a burning question arises: will architects continue to be the primary creators of our built environment, or will AI dominate?
According to AIA, “90 percent of [architecture] firms anticipate they will be using or increasing usage of AI over the next three years.” This futuristic technology is now more than a subplot of science fiction, offering unprecedented capabilities for optimizing design and automating tasks. However, can the depth of an architect’s creativity and context outweigh machines?
This article is the fourth in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints.
Of all the attributes that will define the Metaverse the single most important is that of experience. As we move more deeply into the Anthropocene Era humans seem to be shifting their interests from collecting things to collecting experiences. As the demand for experiences grows more intense and detailed, the need for content, and the clever and effective use of that content, will rise exponentially. From a more detailed perspective, the management and quality of those experiences will determine the initial success of the Metaverse. This is where the concept of a Responsive AI Concierge comes into play.
Architecture is a multifaceted discipline influenced by diverse sources of data and information, which play a fundamental role in shaping architectural production. In the past, horological instruments like the sundial were used to obtain data, such as time, and gain knowledge of solar incidence at different times of the year and geographical locations. This made it possible to determine the optimal orientation of buildings, resulting in benefits such as better use of sunlight and greater thermal comfort.
Although cultural, social, and even religious factors can influence architectural design, quantitative factors are especially relevant when making decisions in the early stages of the creative process, during construction, and throughout the life cycle of a building. Therefore, it is important to collect and process relevant information, such as location, solar incidence, occupancy capacity, occupant interactions, energy performance, and carbon emissions, among other aspects.
This article is the second in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints.
For architects, one of the most captivating aspects of AI and the Metaverse is that of placemaking. How do we create compelling places that bring people to this new world and enable them to enjoy their experience there, getting them to return once the novelty has worn off? How much of this digital world needs to connect back with our day-to-day physical environs for it to feel meaningful and how do these artificial cities, towns, and neighborhoods come to life?
We are witnessing a major shift in the process of generating images. The recent influx and growth of machine learning and artificial intelligence raises questions about the way in which creative processes evolve and develop through technology. Systems like DALL-E, DALL-E 2, and Midjourney are AI programs trained to generate images from text descriptions using a dataset of text-image pairs. The diverse set of capabilities includes creating anthropomorphized versions of animals and objects, combining unrelated concepts in plausible ways, and applying transformations to existing images.
This article is the fifth in a series focusing on the Architecture of the Metaverse. ArchDaily has collaborated with John Marx, AIA, the founding design principal and Chief Artistic Officer of Form4 Architecture, to bring you monthly articles that seek to define the Metaverse, convey the potential of this new realm as well as understand its constraints.
Science fiction writers inspire us with bold and provocative visions of the future. Huxley, Orwell, Assimov, and Bradbury easily come to mind. They have imagined great advances in technology and oftentimes predicted shifts in social structure that were a result of the human need to open Pandora's Box. A large part of the charm and allure of science fiction is the bold audacity of some of these predictions. They seem to defy the laws of nature and science, and then, faster than you might have thought, the spectrum of human inventiveness makes it so.
Architecture as a profession is both deeply rooted in the past and driven by innovation. During the past few years, we have seen technology advancing at an unprecedented pace, developing tools and systems that change the way we understand the world. Digital spaces are becoming an accessible reality, as the metaverse is promising to enhance human interaction. Other digital tools such as robotic construction technologies, AI-generated images, and immersive virtual-reality equipment are likely to have a direct impact on the construction industry.
These topics are addressed by forward-looking architects, designers, and building industry professionals. Among others, contemporary artist Krista Kim talks about the economy of the metaverse, architect Alper Derinboğaz draws attention to the challenges facing the new generations of architects, and ICON founder Jason Ballard reveals the implications of technological innovations.
The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design are joined by designer and educator Andrew Kudless, Founder of Matsys, to discuss the fundamentals of generative Artificial Intelligence (A.I.); how he teaches Midjourney; its potential role in the architecture profession; the evolving role of an architect; how students can make the most of the tools; and more.
Augmented reality (AR) software has been a common feature in professional design toolkits for a while. But the recent release of Apple’s Vision Pro glasses shows the mixed-reality wearables sector is making serious inroads in consumer markets too, as one of the world’s biggest names in consumer design and technology enters the market.
A major reason for the immense hype surrounding Apple’s foray into AR/VR hardware, however, is the decision to position it as ‘spatial computing.’ By taking the complexity of augmented reality, and using it to heighten a familiar consumer sector – personal computing – the Cupertino-based brand has simplified the whole experience, widening its understanding and appeal.
This article was originally published on Common Edge.
Recently, I resolved that I wasn’t going to be drawn into the silly posturing about how ChatGPT would take the jobs of every experienced architect on earth before 2030, but an intelligent post on this website by Geethanjali Raman and Mohik Acharya broke that resolve. What isn’t being stressed is that algorithms that sample internet-based information are only as good as the quality of that information. Architectural history suggests that all new things have a shelf life, quickly fading from view after being hyped. Only the best will persist after a lengthy period of evaluation and criticism. Any new architecture widely praised and available since the rise of the internet is likely to be untested by time and thus not worth using as a benchmark. And let’s face it: Some of the worst buildings ever designed by humans are out there in cyberspace, crowding out better ones that haven’t yet been digitized.
