It’s no secret the power of data is changing the world in ways that, a decade ago, few would have imagined. Since the advent of the digital age, the potential for gathering information has been on the rise, but oftentimes the limiting factor was how to process or utilize the sheer volume of it. Emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, or AI, have provided additional powers to take those next steps and put all that data to practical use. The potential for the built environment is enormous, and architects are beginning to step into a new age of data-driven design.
“I still remember the transition from physical drawings at my university to the first use of computer-enhanced design work,” recalls Matthias Hollwich, founding principal of HWKN Architecture. “The breakthrough collaboration of architects and technology, like AI, demonstrates how creative industries can truly benefit from the data and develop an advanced world. AI is poised to revolutionize how we plan, experience, and manage buildings and cities, ultimately transforming the architectural landscape.”
“There are two directions where AI can help,” Hollwich says. “One is optimization, such as running through many scenarios and developing a building with a digital twin to be more efficient, sustainable and buildable. The second option is enhanced creative thinking fostered by using AI. Here, out-of-the-box thinking can be applied and tested. With a digital twin, new forms and usages can be tested first in the digital world and, once deemed successful, they can be translated into the real built environment. The digital twin can de-risk the development of buildings. A building and its context can be used as a laboratory until the right solution emerges.”
