The AI revolution in architecture

By Barbara Gutierrez [email protected] 11-05-2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing every industry.

This new technology, which can perform tasks which normally requires human intelligence, is quickly becoming one of the most transformative tools in the field of architecture.

AI helps architects to design and construct buildings. What once was done by hand-drawn sketches and static computer models, is now generated by AI tools.

The University of Miami School of Architecture has been at the forefront of AI for a few years. Each student is introduced to AI tools in their first year during their Visual Representation courses.

Dean Rodolphe "Rudy" el-Khoury, who heads the RAD Lab, a research-focused lab that integrates embedded technology and smart systems into design and architecture, said, "AI has had an influence in all fields."

"It has facilitated administrative processes, optimizing workflows and taking care of low-level technical tasks," he said.

El-Khoury said that architecture firms and companies are now relying on AI tools to come up with estimates of how much a building will cost. He cited the startup Togal.AI. It provides contractors with AI-powered tools that dramatically cut down on the hours it would take to come up with construction cost estimates.

In the last few years, AI tools have become more sophisticated, el-Khoury said. "This is changing the field, but it can never be compared to a designer's trained capacity for critical judgement," he added.

An AI tool can generate 100 images of a building, after a human has input all the relevant information about the structure. AI can be extremely imaginative and unbiased in its creations, but it lacks the ability to critically discern between one object and another and choose the best option, he said.

"It proposes many options but cannot choose the best one. That is what humans do extremely well. It is built into our DNA, the capacity to assess a situation on the fly and decide the best course of action, such as evading a predator in a primordial savanna," el-Khoury said tongue-in-cheek.

The RAD Lab integrates AI into many projects. Indrit Alushani, research associate and lecturer, said that AI "has become a core part of how we ideate, iterate, and communicate architectural proposals."

"AI tools enhance design speed, breath of ideas proposed, and the quality of visualization," Alushani said. He noted that the technology allows them to:

• Generate multiple conceptual options quickly.
• Translate abstract ideas into photorealistic visuals.
• Test programmatic layouts using real-world constraints like zoning, massing, and solar exposure.
• Perform rapid prototyping from drawing to 3D modelling to a physical model.

"These tools have transformed how we present to clients, stakeholders, and even jurors, elevating both the speed and clarity of architectural communication," said Alushani.

The RAD Lab is currently developing two innovative projects that use AI.

One is a cane for the visually impaired, with embedded microphones and cameras, that allow the person to hear warning messages so they can avoid dangerous situations such as a wet pavement or an object in their path.

The other is an overhead lamp that can be hung over the dining room table. The lamp can scan the food in each plate and provide calories and nutritional value such as how much protein or carbohydrates is in each serving.

El-Khoury acknowledges that AI has its detractors; however, he sees it as a useful tool.

But AI is only as good as the instructions given, el Khoury added. Learning how to prompt or ask questions of an app like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot is crucial. It is also important to double-check all the information that AI provides, since it can also make mistakes, he said.