AI has become entrenched in our daily lives. Anything from traffic data and finding the fastest routes to a specific destination, to creating content and even automating tasks such as managing daily calendars, AI has proved that it not only has staying power, but has become an essential tool for both business and personal use.

One business area that has without a doubt reaped the rewards of AI technology is architecture. According to a market report, about 70% of architects were convinced that AI would have a significant impact on architecture in the next five years.

Architecture firms have also made it known that they will be using AI in the next five to ten years for urban planning. This is according to 87% of firms that were included in the report.

Together with these impressive statistics, consider the following:

· AI-powered robots can boost architecture productivity by around 50%.

· Around 68% of architecture firms are aiming to apply AI tools to their processes in 2024.

· With the world population expected to reach 11.2 billion by 2100, more housing will be needed, and ultimately, AI could play a crucial role in architecture processes.

In this article, we look at the powerful impact of AI and automation on architecture. First, let’s review the advantages that AI has brought to this industry segment.

How AI is used in architecture processes

1. Using AI for variety of design styles

Designing small, medium or large spaces according to certain themes needn’t be done from scratch anymore. With trending software, it becomes easy to generate images by using AI prompts to effortlessly change between specific styles like contemporary, rustic or nautical.

With the help of AI visuals, architects are no longer bound just by their own imaginations. Simply put, they can enhance their creativity by using AI to open up the possibilities of where their designs can take them – all without even needing to leave the office. And once an architect has chosen their designs, it can be easy to bring these visuals into real-life scenarios.

2. Leveraging existing data

Historic data offers a wealth of information that can be fine-tuned with AI software. These resources go beyond just quickly drawing up some visual examples – they truly consider various factors, such as location, climate, and in some cases, even building regulations.

This adds an extra layer to architectural design, as the AI used can create several viable options that an architect can consider – and not just based on aesthetics. Using AI to consider other aspects such as the environmental impact that a new construct could have, or how it would fit into certain environments can ensure that viable choices are made for architecture projects.

Instead of simply designing structures, architects can now apply both design principles and environmental considerations to give every design project a true 360-Degrees approach. It is clear: AI stretches across just basic design to create potential architectural “blueprints” of exceptional value.

3. Automating repetitive tasks

Another example of how AI is changing the way architects approach their craft is through building information modeling (or simply put, BIM). Using this technology, an architect can generate an upscale AI image with three-dimensional depth.

BIM is, however, also an incredible tool that allows designers to automate repetitive tasks. This means that they can focus even more on the creative aspect of their skill set, while also being in a better position to speed up decision making, as they are no longer constrained by tedious administration that could take away time from their overall design processes.

4. The benefits of AI art

AI art can help an architect to envision several possibilities for a planned project. Concepts and ideas of any scale can be explored, and created within just a couple of minutes at most.

From grandiose and daring to classic and evergreen design, AI art opens up the possibilities for architecture professionals to step out of their comfort zones and imagine where their design options could take them. They can consider fresh new designs that might not have been part of the repertoire before – but that can now potentially be developed.

5. Text to Image saves times

Where design ideation used to take hours or even days in the past, AI software can generate visuals fast and tweak as needed in a short time as well. Architects no longer need to spend hours of nerve-wracking soul-searching – they can use AI for fast, effective image generation to help them get the solutions they need.

Although some AI platforms have had a bad rap for generating unrealistic imagery, there are several platforms where realistic images can take shape easily. Architects who are familiar with leading AI resources know which platforms to consult, and how to use the right prompts to generate images that can translate into concrete, tangible designs.

Should architects be concerned about AI and future career opportunities?

Architects should certainly not feel threatened by the rise in AI in the architectural realm. Although AI brings with it benefits such as automation and image generation, the skills and background of an architect can certainly not be ignored.

Human input will always be an important part of architecture. Not only because designers draw from past experiences and design skills, but also because they know what is feasible in real-world scenarios, and what is not.

Expert architects should rather continue to see AI as an extension of their toolset. Even with all its functionality, an AI platform still needs the input of an architect to generate results that make sense and that use the correct data.

Architects who embrace the opportunities of AI platforms and enrich their daily tasks with these tools will certainly benefit from having more time to apply creativity to projects, while tapping into their incredible opportunities that will continue to evolve just like AI platforms.