AI and Why You Still Need an Architect
BY W. GEOFF GJERTSON, AIA
AI IN ARCHITECTURE
Everyone is talking about AI or Artificial Intelligence. But no one is really sure how it will affect our lives. Part of the reason for this is that it is such a broad topic. Using it for writing text is one thing. Operating a robot is another. Employing it for design is yet another paradigm. We are also unsure about its effects on our lives because it constantly evolves, and its capabilities are growing exponentially.
Artificial Intelligence is a complex subject. To understand how AI can aid in architectural design, one must first understand the range of tasks architects perform.
Architects typically divide their tasks into seven design phases: 1) Predesign, 2) Schematic Design, 3) Design Development, 4) Construction Documents, 5) Bidding and Negotiations, 6) Construction Administration, and 7) Post-Occupancy Services.
Each of these seven phases of design can consist of a range of tasks, from a few to hundreds, depending on the project’s complexity and the needed services. The four phases of design preceding bidding and construction can take anywhere from a hundred hours for a small residential renovation to thousands of hours for large commercial projects.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Now we understand what architects do. So, how can artificial intelligence help? Artificial Intelligence, as defined by Matias del Campo in his book Diffusions in Architecture: Artificial Intelligence and Image Generators, is “the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human Intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. AI systems use algorithms and machine learning techniques to learn from data and improve their performance over time.”i
The most advanced architectural AI software today consists of text-to-image generators. Midjourney, the most prominent software, was developed by David Holz, Nat Friedman, and Jim Keller (of Apple fame), and a team of researchers, and released in July 2022. Chances are you have seen Midjourney images, which have exploded, especially on social media. There are now over 18 million Midjourney users worldwide.
Midjourney
Midjourney translates text prompts into vectors, numerical representations of the textual descriptions. Images can also be input into Midjourney, where they are converted into a text prompt or description,
which can then be translated into vectors and combined with other images or text prompts. “Thus, when a user gives the program a prompt, it uses its knowledge to associate the words and phrases with certain visual concepts.”ii Although difficult to determine, it is estimated that Midjourney’s dataset has approximately 10 billion images.
Optimization
There is another category of AI in architecture that is focused on optimization. This AI software is an expert consultant advising the architect on the most optimal forms and configurations for efficiency, cost, energy efficiency, safety, and function. Notice that AI does not consult or assist on issues of aesthetic beauty or poetry. Optimization AI can help you pack the most cars in a parking lot or configure rooms in a box for efficiency but not necessarily arrive at a good design. It is important to note that AI Optimization/ Design software is in its infancy.
WHAT AI CAN DO
In the phases of design, AI can assist in the schematic design phase by producing thousands of ideation images for the architect. Like a slot machine or a roll of dice, the architect can provide prompts to the AI software in the form of words and/or images,
https://illustrarch.com/artificial-intelligence/26336-how-to-create-architecture-plan-with-artificial-intelligence.html
generating a new set of images each time. In this scenario, the architect is a curator, selecting their favorite images and rerolling or pulling the arm of the slot machine again and again.
The optimization aspect of AI can also assist in schematic design by test “fitting” rooms in a space or cars in a parking lot. Optimization also becomes valuable in the design development phase when specific and subtle nuanced design aspects are tested and refined. For example, how big should the roof overhangs be to shade the windows at 3 pm? As you can see, AI currently has limited and specific interface points in architectural design.
WHAT AI CANNOT DO
Even the most optimistic AI experts, like Thomas Lane of Building Magazine, suggest that AI has the potential to automate up to 37% of the tasks typically carried out by architects and engineersiii. AI is ideal for repetitive tasks, not “tasks that require real ingenuity and creativity.” AI is not diplomatic. “Human communication skills, conflict resolution, creativity, and innovation – things AI won’t be able to do for a while -
will become increasingly valued and sought-after in all professions, and here it will be no different.”iv And most importantly, architects have to be accountable for the safety of their buildings and the public, a responsibility that cannot be entrusted to machines.
WHY YOU NEED AN ARCHITECT
Now that we understand what architects do and what AI can and cannot do, it should be reasonably apparent that architects will be needed as long as construction is needed. Ultimately, there are five main reasons you need an architect, even with the advent of AI and all its potential.
1. Beauty and Poetry
2. Individuality and Uniqueness
3. Aspirations and the Unquantifiable
4. An absolute need for buildings to be healthy and safe for the public
5. The unpredictable nature of construction and an architect’s ability to react to change and conflict
First, as we have seen, AI can generate images it thinks might be beautiful or desired, but only if a person or
architect confirms that it is desired and beautiful. More importantly, even if an evocative image is generated, AI cannot tell the builder how to build it. Poetry in all things, including architectural space, is immeasurable. AI cannot create the poetic and even if it could, it would not understand the emotions it creates.
AI-generated images are ultimately a mash-up of the images readily available on the internet. These images are not really new or unique, and in fact, they are generated by the probability that we will like them based on user preferences. In other words, these images are created by an algorithm that is dictated by fashion, trends, and clicks.
In the predesign phase, architects mine the aspirations and dreams of their clients. Often, this involves reading between the lines and going beyond the merely practical, efficient, functional, or obvious. Good design is immeasurable and unquantifiable. AI is nothing if not quantifiable and simply a quid pro quo for a laundry list of needs.
Safety is the ultimate responsibility of architects. Architects attend 5-6 years of school, work for 2-3 years, and take 6 difficult tests before they are licensed to practice architecture. Although some structural and building code aspects of safety can be optimized by AI, the complexity of the lives of people in buildings and their ultimate safety can only be guaranteed by human architects.
Finally, design and building construction involve negotiation with a team of dozens of people. Change and conflict are inevitable. In addition, the day-to-day circumstances on a construction site produce a myriad of events and conditions that an architect must manage. These negotiations rely on experience and personal relationships, which an algorithm cannot define.
CONCLUSION
The use of Artificial Intelligence in architecture will continue to grow, and design may become somewhat automated someday. However, even if in the year 2112 you rent the latest model FLW1000 architectural robot, which has been refined over time with AI and machinelearning and trained by the most successful human architects, be prepared for these pitfalls:
• The design of your structure not only looks like the one down the street, but also resembles 1970’s Soviet housing blocks.
• Your home function adequately (i.e., the bathroom is next to the bedroom) but is no joy to live in (i.e., the morning light DOES NOT slowly wake you up and textures of the materials DO NOT remind you of your childhood home).
• You may have constant disputes with your builder and you paid too much for your home.
• The indoor air quality of your home could be compromised by the use of the cheapest and most readily available materials.
• Twenty years later, when you encounter a problem with the design of your home, the FLW1000 robot may have been mothballed!
The worst part of this experience is that you missed the memorable rituals of celebrating a groundbreaking and toasting each other at the successful completion of your home or building. So, treasure the moments working with your architect now and into the future. At best, Artificial Intelligence software can serve as a consultant to the human architect, providing multiple options and helping optimize the design for efficiency. However, your architect must have the training, education, experience, diplomacy, and creativity to curate and integrate a solution to meet your needs and wildest expectations. You are in good hands! ■
iDel Campo, Diffusions in Architecture: Artificial Intelligence and Image Generators, p. 256.
iihttps://imaigic.com/blog/how-mj-was-trained#:~:text=It%20works%20by%20 destroying%20training,using%20the%20learned%20denoising%20process.
iiihttps://www.archdaily.com/1007802/will-artificial-intelligence-replacearchitects ivhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2024/03/15/how-generativeai-will-change-the-jobs-of-architects-and-civil-engineers/?sh=22835ab3572d
References:
Artificial. Intelligent. Architecture., edited by Frank Jacobis and Brian Kelly. Diffusions in Architecture: Artificial Intelligence and Image Generators, edited by Matias Del Campo.
“How Generative AI Will Change The Jobs Of Architects And Civil Engineers,” by Bernard Marr, March 15, 2024, Forbes.com.
“Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Architects?,” by Dioga Simoes, October 18, 2023, Archdaily.com.
“Will architects really lose their jobs to AI?,” by Nat Barker, July 27, 2023, Dezeen.com.
“Will AI Replace Architects?,” by Pedro J. Lopez, April 24, 2023, Render4Tomorrow.com.
“Architects replaced by machines? Why AI is set to radically affect practice,” by Merlin Fulcher, January 23, 2023, architectsjounal.co.uk
“Will AI Replace Architects?,” by Elif Ayse Fidanci, February 1, 2023, illustrarch.com.
H/S EXPERIENCE As human beings, we spend our personal and professional time within the built environment. As Architects, we are privileged to create spaces where people can gather, live, learn, work, eat, sleep, and worship. Therefore, it is incumbent that we design spaces that enhance the quality of life and nurture a greater passion for living. Our design approach is influenced by the environment, culture, and community in which architecture exists. To take it further... We Design for Life.
W. Geoff Gjertson, AIA, is the Holly & Smith Architects’ Lafayette Studio Director and Professor of Architecture at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is originally from Huntsville, Alabama, and has lived in the Marshal Islands, Colorado, California, Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana. Gjertson attended Arizona State University (undergrad) and Rice University (graduate). He has been in practice for over 30 years and a professor for more than 25 years. He has published over twenty papers and articles in peer-reviewed journals on architectural pedagogy, design, and history, written a book (GENERATING HOPE) on the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home, a chapter in Thinking While Doing: Explorations in Educational Design/Build, and won over a dozen design awards for his professional practice work.
