Chapter Director CC Delhi 1
Raavish Malhotra design and associates
I thought about the title as I read about all the drama and critical feedback received by Indian artist Madhav Kohli (@mvdhav) on social media when he published stereotypical representations of men and women from different Indian states (refer image). He generated the images using Midjourney, an AI image generation tool that took inputs from him through text prompts. The job of the artist is done – he managed to acquire over 20K new followers on social media.
completely different story when AI touches our day to day activities. One of my friends recently described how he felt being driven by a driverless Waymo car in San Francisco. All this got me exploring what this means for architecture and interior design.
AI can help improve the design process and to create more efficient and effective designs. Here are some ways that AI is being used in architectural design:
- Generative design involves using AI algorithms to generate design options based on certain criteria, such as cost, materials and energy efficiency. For example, an architect might input their design constraints (such as the size of the building and the materials they want to use) and the AI will generate a range of design options that meet those constraints. This can help architects and interior designers quickly explore a range of design possibilities and choose the best one for their project.
2. Realistic 3D modelling and rendering of spaces when working with complex or abstract shapes or when trying to visualize a design that is difficult to draw by hand. This can help get a more accurate sense of how such designs will come to life and make changes more easily. A nice example is the Twisted Steampunk Pavilion setup at Tallinn during the Biennale exhibition in 2019 (refer image) which was built using AR technology.
3. Optimize construction planning and management, identify potential bottlenecks or delays in schedules. For example, an AI system might analyse the availability of materials, the skills of the construction workers, and other factors to determine the most efficient construction schedule. This can help streamline the construction process and reduce costs.
4. Building performance by analysing data on energy usage, occupant comfort, and other factors that can be opportunities for improving a building’s efficiency or comfort. This allow architects and building owners to make data-driven decisions about how to improve the performance of their buildings.
Before I wrap here’s a project example for use of AI in design – Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), developed an AI system called Flow to help design the company’s Toronto Waterfront project, which aims to create a mixed-use, high-tech neighbourhood on Toronto’s waterfront. Flow was used to generate design options for the neighbourhood’s street network and building layouts, taking into account factors such as pedestrian and bike traffic, accessibility, and green space.