AI FOR ARCHITECTS

Get to know your instructor, the course roadmap, and what’s coming your way. We’ll cover all the questions, so you’re all set to dive in without surprises. This is your warm-up lap.

• Instructor introduction
• General housekeeping
• Course & assignments overview

Get the lay of the land when it comes to AI in architecture — who’s using it, how it’s changing the game, and where the real opportunities and headaches lie. Understand what AI means for architecture — from key concepts to building tools.

• AI in architecture: Benefits, limitations, implications
• Case study #1: Successful startups in the AEC industry
• Key AI concepts & terminology
• Selecting appropriate tools
• Integrating AI with architectural processes to drive value
• Case study #2: Delve (Google Earth) evolution

Assignment #1: AI Tool Matrix
Map out 5–7 AI tools by tech type, design phase, benefits, and required expertise. Pick your favorite and explain why it fits your design interests.

Use AI tools to turn your architectural ideas into striking visuals and stories that wow clients. From text-to-image to designing narratives, you’ll learn how to boost your presentations and bring designs to life.

• Leveraging text-to-image models for concept development
• Creating presentations with AI-enhanced visualizations
• Using AI to generate design narratives from models
• Demo #1: Implementing multimodal AI in client presentations, renderings, boards

Assignment #2: AI-Driven Visualization
Create a design visualization using an AI text-to-image tool. Document your prompt engineering process.

Get your algorithms talking to your architecture. In this session, you’ll blend parametric design with AI tools to explore smarter, faster ways to shape, tweak, and optimize your ideas — with Grasshopper plugins, LLMs, and prompting.

• Parametric/computational design concepts
• AI for parametric design
• Demo #2: Using AI tools to help solve parametric problems 

Learn how to put AI to work as your design critic — spotting what’s working, what’s not, and how to level up your designs faster with automated feedback. Let it identify improvement opportunities and support iterative design processes.

• Using AI to evaluate designs against performance metrics
• Implementing design review automation
• Creating feedback loops between AI analysis & design iteration
• Demo #3: Design review using LLM (ChatGPT, Claude) based on the input design brief

Assignment #3: AI-Powered Design Review Protocol
Build an AI review protocol using an LLM of your choice. Your protocol should evaluate a project against multiple design criteria.

Learn to integrate AI techniques with parametric modeling workflows to enhance design exploration and optimization capabilities.

• Develop and manipulate parametric models and tools
• Integrating parametric design into architectural practice
• Demo #4: Optimizing designs using AI tools to help solve problems

Assignment #4: AI-Enhanced Parametric Model
Using the provided parametric model in Grasshopper (Rhino 8), address a specific design challenge incorporating an AI-assisted component (using LLM assistance).

Learn how to spot ethical red flags in AI-driven design, set ground rules for responsible use, and keep your projects creative, but also compliant. Great architecture shouldn’t come with a disclaimer.

• Ethical considerations of AI
• Identifying & mitigating biases
• Adherence with codes & regulations
• Case study #3: The ethical implications of AI in architecture 

Dive into how AI is changing the game for sustainable design: boost your skills in environmental analysis and learn to use smart tools that make green building smarter. Get insider tips from a guest expert who’s turning data into real-world impact.

• Role of AI in sustainable design
• AI for environmental analysis & optimization
• Demo #5 + Guest Speaker: Analyzing environmental impacts using AI tools 

Explore how generative design works and try your hand at using tools like Galapagos to optimize one clear goal, and let the algorithm do the heavy lifting.

• Generative design vs. AI vs. Generative AI
• Generative design principles
• Demo #6: Intro to generative design with Wallacei

Apply AI-enhanced optimization techniques using industry-leading tools. Tweak, test, and train AI to help solve complex design problems. This class is all about using AI tools for generative design like Wallacei to push architectural thinking beyond “one-size-fits-all.”

• AI tools for generative design
• Demo #7: Generative design + AI with Wallacei
• Workshop #1: Exploring multi-objective design optimization with Wallacei AI 

Assignment #5 (Extra Credit): AI for Generative Design (Optional)
Use Wallacei to optimize your prior design project. Share 1–3 slides documenting process, results, and future tweaks.

Get hands-on with AI-powered BIM workflows and learn how to speed up your design process, cut down errors, and make smarter design decisions without breaking your brain — or your building.

• AI applications in BIM & automating BIM processes
• Collaboration with AI-driven BIM tools
• Design accuracy & efficiency
• Demo #8 + Guest Speaker: Implementing AI in real-world BIM projects 

Assignment #6: AI-Driven BIM Enhancement
Start with a basic Revit model to create a smarter, AI-optimized BIM floorplan.

Understand how AI and IoT are transforming smart buildings and learn to weave intelligent tech into architectural design. Plus, hear real-world tips from a guest pro on making buildings smarter and more efficient.

• Smart building & construction tech concepts
• Implementing AI in smart building systems
• AI & IoT-enabled asset management systems
• Emerging construction tech with AI  
• Guest Speaker: Optimizing building performance with AI 

Build your own AI sidekick designed just for architects — no heavy coding, just smart tools that handle everything from building codes to design briefs. By the end, you’ll know how to tailor AI to fit real-world workflows and boost your practice’s productivity.

• Basics of creating custom tools using AI-powered IDEs
• Demo #9: Developing a custom AI tool prototype

Assignment #7 (Extra Credit): Custom AI Assistant
Customize an AI assistant using an LLM API to address a specific architectural workflow challenge relevant to your own use case.

Get ahead of the AI curve in architecture by spotting trends, building a personal learning plan, and sharpening your resume and portfolio to stand out in the future job market.

• Emerging technologies & their potential impact
• Preparing for the integration of new AI technologies
• Strategies for staying updated with AI advancements
• Career guidance & self-development plan
• Resume & portfolio guidance

Assignment #8: AI Professional Development Plan
Draft a 1-year roadmap to integrate AI into your design career. Include goals, tools, learning steps, and milestone markers.

Get to know some of the best architecture professionals out there and ask away. We’ll cover all the questions and have a productive discussion — so you’re ready for the real world.

• Roundtable discussion with guest speakers