With emerging Artificial intelligence, now it is a new chapter for architectural design. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the architectural design, construction, and operation, architects’ roles and working methods continue to evolve. From traditional practices centered on aesthetic design and drawing documentation to Building Information Modeling (BIM) supporting more coordinated design and delivery, and now AI-enabled automated digital delivery and operation, the industry is undergoing a profound technology-driven transformation.
Following the trend, Autodesk University (AU) 2026 took place in Las Vegas in September. Hosted by Autodesk, the annual international conference brought together professionals and industry leaders from design, engineering, manufacturing, and digital technology to explore artificial intelligence, integrated system, automation, and digital workflows, and how these technologies are moving from concepts into real-world implementation. Meanwhile, the value of building information is being redefined. With cross-platform data integration, 3D building models and 2D drawings no longer need to remain deliverables used only during design and construction; they can also support asset management and inform future design decisions.
At the conference, Mingxun Zou, an architectural designer and BIM Administrator III working onsite at Los Angeles World Airports, presented “Preparing LAX for the 2028 Olympics: AI-Powered Digital Twins with Autodesk Tandem MCP.” Drawing on the modernization of LAX ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, Zou shared AI-enabled digital twins for digital operation and its potential to inform operational planning and design.
His presentation covered several essentials of digital model and drawing delivery: BIM templates established early in design, standardized libraries of reusable building components, drawing nomenclature, and the organization of project close-out deliverables. The standardized libraries include elements such as doors, windows, furniture, equipment, and fixtures. For Zou, these are not simply drafting efficiencies. Designing and standardizing components with owners’ operational requirements in mind can make building information more useful throughout a building’s life. Additionally, by connecting building information between 3d and 2d and wire into maintenance system, the deliverables become accessible for natural-language queries, analysis, and operational planning. The larger goal is to use what is learned from operating existing to guide future planning and architectural design, while maximizing the value of existing assets.
The presentation followed Zou’s appearance at the 2026 Esri Developer & Technology Summit, where he shared his work on automating 3D BIM to 2D GIS building information processing, which sets up backbone for digital operation. His practice has long extended beyond architectural form and spatial design. Earlier in his career, he used BIM, and computational design to help translate creative concepts into tangible deliverables of projects. His work supporting airport projects has since expanded that approach, connecting digital design and construction deliverables to serve facility operations, and future building standard and design.
Zou has led major infrastructure and sustainable community design projects internationally and received honors including Design of the Year at the NY Architectural Design Awards and Platinum at the MUSE Design Awards. He sees creativity and digital technology as inseparable, with technology providing a foundation for making design ideas achievable. Rather than moving away from architectural design, his work points toward design increasingly driven by digital delivery standards and insights from building operations—connecting design, delivery, operations, and future planning in a continuous feedback loop.
Words: Nadja Sayej
Date: October 15, 2026
