When I was a young drafting intern out of high school, I spent long nights and weekends on the “boards”, updating last-minute drawing revisions. I recall my first calculator, purchased as I started the pursuit of my masters’ degree, and the delivery of our company’s first desktop computer several years later. Throughout my engineering career, I have witnessed the evolution of technology in the architectural and engineering design fields, as well as the innovations in materials and systems associated with the building industry. However, these past several years have seen accelerated advancements through the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications being used throughout the life cycle of buildings. The capabilities of this powerful technology are being employed from design through construction and during ongoing facilities’ operations and maintenance.
AI in Design
Architects have employed computer-aided drafting and building information modeling for over a decade in facility design. With AI these capabilities have been greatly enhanced. Architects are using various tools for design ideations and conceptual designs. Image diffusion applications like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and Adobe Firefly can create various design images from text prompts. Related AI design packages that learn from metadata can assist in schematic designs, accommodating constraints from codes, regulations and ordinances. Related, but specialized AI tools can assist in residential and urban planning. AI-powered rendering services like ArkoAI can provide high quality, photorealistic perspectives within minutes.