Archinect - News

'Maurice's Last Shift,' Top Prize winner in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge

2023-07-11T12:00:00-04:00

Maurice's Last Shift by Tim Papienski

Just after dawn, as light rain pattered down on the tarps of the construction site, Maurice stepped gently, trying not to land in the mud. As he passed through the guarded entrance, the banner above proudly proclaimed “847 days without a workplace accident.” Mounted on a pole below, was the ever-present red Stop Work button.

Maurice was a Sensor Jockey. Led a crew of them, in fact. He was retiring after 40 years, and today was his last shift. Maurice has spent his entire working life on jobsites such as this—big, sprawling constructions. He knew everything a person could know.

The jobsite was a repurpose of an abandoned office complex, a mix of apartments, businesses and “Temps.” Maurice headed to the end of the site, the final section block of Temps being printed. The great gantry had been rolled into place, the concrete extruder paused dramatically, like a monk about to illuminate the edges of a medieval bible.

Nobody really knew what wa...

'The Last Flesh and Blood Architect,' Honorable Mention in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge

2023-07-11T12:00:00-04:00

The Last Flesh and Blood Architect by Juan Manuel Prieto

Human-designed and built architecture was dying out. Hans knew this well, for he had followed it all his days, and he clung to it with a love greater than his need. Many times, he had been urged to give up his old-fashioned ways and join the new order of things, where all was done by the cunning devices of the Machine-mind. But he would shake his head and answer that he was content with his own work, and that he could do better than any machine. But this was only half the truth, for he also felt such pride and joy in his work that nothing else could give him. And he feared the day when it would be no more, when the last of his kind would be swept away by the tide of progress.

After months of idleness and nearing the brink of bankruptcy, fortune finally smiled upon Hans. He encountered a group of visionary investors who shared his passion for human touch, for that spark of life in their creations. They presented him with an opp...

'Blueprints of Belonging: Architecture in the Age of AI,' Honorable Mention in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge

2023-07-11T12:00:00-04:00

Blueprints of Belonging: Architecture in the Age of AI by Kyle Branchesi

Welcome to the journey of Maria, a young architect, and her AI muse, Calida. Together, they navigate the complex urban landscape of Los Angeles, grappling with a mission far beyond merely building structures. Their quest is to reweave the vibrant cultural tapestry of the city, strained and frayed by relentless forces of gentrification and global homogenization. This is a story about the future of architecture, where AI doesn't replace human creativity but collaborates with it, embracing the community's voice and preserving its rich cultural heritage. This narrative presents a utopian vision of AI as an enabler, an ally, and a force that transforms the architectural profession into a champion of diversity. Explore how the alliance between human sensitivity and AI efficiency can reshape our cities, fostering a built environment that reflects and respects its inhabitants.

Open Air Dialogue: As the sun dips below t...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Semanticism"

2023-06-16T12:03:00-04:00

Archinect's Lexicon focuses on newly invented (or adopted) vocabulary within the architectural community. For this installment, we're featuring a term that was recently presented in an Archinect feature article on the architectural implications of generative AI tools such as Midjourney and DALL-E.

"Semanticism" is a term used within the realms of architecture and design, describing the theoretical approach that emphasizes the significant role of semantics, or meaning, in shaping architectural forms. It postulates that the forms and structures within architecture are shaped by their intended meanings and context, aligning with the dictum "form follows meanings." The approach dictates that the study and creation of architecture necessitate the unraveling of the various significations inherent in built forms.

Under the purview of Semanticism, the construction of new architecture corresponds to the crafting of forms that best express a design's intended meanings within its specific cont...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Hallucination"

2023-06-09T11:22:00-04:00

Archinect's Lexicon focuses on newly invented (or adopted) vocabulary within the architectural community. For this installment, we're featuring a term that has risen to prominence with the advent of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E.

"Hallucination" in the context of artificial intelligence refers to the phenomenon where an AI model generates or interprets something that isn't grounded in the actual input data it was given. This can happen when AI is asked to create content such as text, images, or speech. The AI may infer patterns or details based on its training but doesn't truly comprehend the information it is handling. It can produce results that seem plausible but might not correspond accurately with the provided input or real-world context.

In the field of building design and architecture, AI hallucinations might be relevant in several ways:

Genera...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Prompt Engineer"

2023-05-19T09:00:00-04:00

A "Prompt Engineer" is a professional who specializes in crafting and designing effective prompts to guide the behavior of artificial intelligence models, such as GPT-3 and GPT-4, or to facilitate cognitive engagement in learning environments or user interfaces. In the context of AI, this role entails understanding the intricacies of the AI model's responses and being able to strategically design prompts that elicit the desired output. They study the pattern of the AI's responses, tweak the wording, tone, or structure of prompts, and keep iterating until the model's output aligns with the expected or desired response. This role requires a deep understanding of natural language processing, AI model behavior, and human psychology to effective...

Kate Wagner on AI's questionable 'disrupting' impact

2023-03-24T13:59:00-04:00

It is misrepresented as some inherently revolutionary technology, when in fact it is rather conservative aesthetically [...] Not only is this a gray area in terms of intellectual property; it also is, well, boring. An architecture dependent on AI will produce content of the lowest common denominator.

While AI applications like Midjourney may have their advantages, Kate Wagner sees their implementation into the architectural design process as deeply flawed and the product of too many industry hype mongers.

Despite their potential to make certain office tasks redundant, Wagner says there’s going to be an endpoint at which human designers are once again made inevitable, writing: "I believe that while design and construction documentation is the most boring part of making a building, it is also most likely to be the last to be automated, for the simple reason that architects and firms are extremely risk-averse [...] Architects would generally rather leave such features such as retaining walls to contractors rather than elaborate on specifics that would make the architect themselves legally responsible. This is, simply, not a practice open to 'disruption.'"

The points she raises about ...

Archinect - News

'Maurice's Last Shift,' Top Prize winner in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge

'The Last Flesh and Blood Architect,' Honorable Mention in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge

​'Blueprints of Belonging: Architecture in the Age of AI,' Honorable Mention in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge

Archinect's Lexicon: "Semanticism"

Archinect's Lexicon: "Hallucination"

Archinect's Lexicon: "Prompt Engineer"

Kate Wagner on AI's questionable 'disrupting' impact

'Blueprints of Belonging: Architecture in the Age of AI,' Honorable Mention in Archinect's Generative Futures: An AI + Architecture Storytelling Challenge