AI Architecture
Narrative in architecture, or storytelling, is what differentiates one building from the other. It transcends the mere function of architecture as a shelter, to a more cemented cultural expression and creates a more emotionally engaging experience. The theory goes that buildings should speak for themselves, and to live the proper spatial experience, a building should foster a meaningful design. Technological advancements transformed the field from mediaeval traditional works to steel-framed skyscrapers. The 21st century introduced parametric design, sustainable architecture, and smart buildings which have become prevalent, with AI and robotics further revolutionising design and construction. The influence of AI on the design process spans from conceptualization to visualisation, and in some cases, execution. The medium of architectural expression was restricted for conceptualization and brainstorming to drawings and models; however, the incorporation of AI introduced a wide range of possibilities that employ a more creative and imaginative approach in software.
Significance of Storytelling in Architecture
Architecture is a visual art, even if the intended story or narrative is not fully grasped by the user, the spatial experience, the lighting, the volume of space, …etc. create a personalised narrative for each user. Intentional or not, the story is there. It is unavoidable, and extremely inseparable from the user’s experience. The narrative expressed by the architectural space speaks for the people, it speaks of their culture, their history, behaviours, wants, needs, and dreams. It reflects their collective and personal stories, and if it doesn’t, they tend to create their own.
The architect’s calling is to speak for the community, to foster and express their shared values and aspirations, and to use the provided tangible and intangible mediums of expression to serve that narrative. The story requires a creative and imaginative mind for the storyline and theme. It also requires an incredible amount of research about the people, the context, and the rich tapestry of history to clarify and reinforce that narrative.
AI as a Thorough Tool for Conceptualization and Pre-analysis
AI does not and should not replace the architect, but it serves as a powerful tool that supports and amplifies the architect’s ability to tell stories through the design, it nurtures the narrative characteristics of architecture. The amount of data that can be analysed through AI to enhance design inspiration and concept development is vast. It offers a unique conceptualization of relevant and exceptional architecture through the thorough analysis of historical and cultural contexts, and user profiling and preferences. It provides a wider palette of ideas and inspiration through AI-driven generative design tools that allow architects to input the exact and specific goals and constraints to offer a compelling spatial story through multiple iterations that take into consideration spatial requirements, environmental factors, and aesthetic preferences. Visual and experiential storytelling is richer when it is more factual and resonates with the intended user. The designs are contextually relevant through the understanding of user behaviours, it offers more compelling, meaningful, and functional narratives in space.
Enhanced Project Visualisation
Presenting the story or architectural narrative intended by the architect is facilitated and deemed more comprehensible when the designs are presented in a way that clients and stakeholders can experience firsthand. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) offer that engaging experience, it offers immersive and interactive environments that allow for an enhanced mutual understanding between the architect’s propositions and the clientele’s vision. That kind of understanding makes it much easier for predictive analytics that predict how a space will be used and how it will evolve. It offers a story that does not only convey the user’s experience upon completion but throughout the building’s lifecycle.
There is a lot that a non-architect might not grasp through the visuals of 2D drawings or 3D perspectives. Things like lighting conditions, materials, and spatial storytelling are crucial for understanding the full story behind the design, and the highly realistic images and animations of architectural designs produce that kind of interactive narrative.
AI Generative Software
Concept Generation
- MidJourney
AI-generated imagery from textual descriptions.
- Creates high-quality, concept art and visualisations from textual descriptions.
- For generating visual ideas, conceptual renderings, and mood boards.
2. DALL-E (OpenAI)
AI-generated imagery from textual descriptions.
- For rapid prototyping of design ideas, visual explorations, and generating unique architectural forms and styles.
3. Artbreeder
Collaborative image generation and hybrid design creation
- Combines and modifies images.
- For exploring variations of architectural elements and generating unique visual content for presentations and conceptual development.
Visualisation and Presentation
- DeepArt.io
Artistic style transfer for architectural renderings.
- Applying artistic styles to architectural renderings and photographs.
- Exploring different aesthetic treatments for the designs
2. Runway ML
AI tools for image generation and visual content creation.
- Offers creative applications, including image generation, video editing, and 3D modelling.
- For creating immersive visualisations
3. NVIDIA GauGAN
Transformation of sketches into photorealistic images (AI landscape and scene generation).
- Transforms simple sketches into photorealistic images.
- For visualising landscapes, site contexts, and environmental settings
4. Adobe Firefly
Generative AI for creating and enhancing images and videos.
- Creating and enhancing images, videos, and 3D models.
- For generating concept art, refining visualisations, and experimenting with different design aesthetics.
Design Exploration
- Rhino and Grasshopper
Parametric and generative design.
- Rhino is a 3D modelling tool, and Grasshopper is a visual programming language that runs within Rhino. Together, they enable architects to explore algorithmic design and complex forms.
2. Neural Concept Shape
AI-driven 3D modelling and complex shape generation.
- Optimises and generates complex 3D shapes and structures.
- For exploring innovative forms and structural solutions
Site Analysis and Planning
- Spacemaker AI (Autodesk)
Generative site planning and urban design.
- Generates and evaluates multiple design scenarios for site layouts
2. TestFit
AI-driven site planning and building layout generation.
- Automates the generation of building layouts and site plans, providing real-time feedback on design feasibility.
- For rapid prototyping and evaluating different design options quickly.
3. Archistar
Generative design and property development analysis.
- Generating and evaluating design options for property development. It analyses site constraints, zoning regulations, and market data to propose optimal building designs.
AI offers an impeccable advancement that alters the design process. It perfects the provided narrative structures that communicate stories and design for experience. To produce a coherent story, form, aesthetics, materials, and people-centred characteristics, are all taken into consideration. They transcend the design into a more memorable experience with a deeper connection to the people using the space. The whole point of narrative and storytelling in architecture is to offer a compelling story that speaks to the people in its memory and meaning. And AI can make architects better storytellers. Architectural storyboards using AI programs provide much more immediate feedback, quickening the conceptualization and design processes. It tells a story with words as well as visuals, i.e.: turning the descriptive texts into architectural visualisations.
References:
Lyu, F. (2019). Architecture as spatial storytelling: Mediating human knowledge of the world, humans and architecture. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 8(3), 275–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2019.05.002
Minnema, L. (2019). The Language of Architecture and the Narrative of the Architect: An Essay on Spatial Orientation and Cultural Meaning in Architecture. In Handbook of the Changing World Language Map (Vol. 1, pp. 843–860). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02438-3_62
Menabney, D. (2017, December 11). How AI is helping us become better storytellers. Medium. https://medium.com/@darmenab/how-ai-is-helping-us-become-better-storytellers-1cafd4d5ad88
The role of AI in architectural storytelling: Enhancing creativity and narrative. The Role of AI in Architectural Storytelling: Enhancing Creativity and Narrative | Blog | CUUB Studio. (n.d.). https://www.cuubstudio.com/blog/the-role-of-ai-in-architectural-storytelling-enhancing-creativity-and-narrative/
