Using AI as a Design Tool in My Architecture Practice

30X40 Design Workshop
30 May 202306:30

TLDRThis transcript discusses the integration of AI into the architectural design process, emphasizing the iterative nature of creation. The speaker shares their experience using 'mid-journey' as a tool for generating ideas and exploring abstract concepts, such as sculpting landscapes or using specific materials. They detail a methodical approach to prompt AI with modifiers to achieve desired architectural forms and styles, highlighting the importance of blending and remixing AI outputs to guide the creative process. The result is a versatile tool that expands the range of design possibilities, offering new opportunities for architects to innovate and refine their work.

Takeaways

  • 🏛 Architecture is a long process that starts with an idea and a sketch, not a singular act of the architect.
  • 🔍 The speaker experiments with AI as a tool in the architectural design process, finding it to be an addictive and creative experience.
  • 🎨 AI can generate a variety of building designs by blending and remixing images, similar to the development of old Polaroid photos.
  • 🤖 The AI tool, referred to as 'mid-journey,' is used to create building types by averaging and slicing data from images.
  • 📝 The speaker emphasizes the importance of starting the AI prompt with a modifier to influence the final result more effectively.
  • 🏡 AI-generated images can be used to solve specific design problems, like creating a sauna, by feeding in related data and iterating on the results.
  • 🌟 Using 'elemental forms' and 'odd historic building terms' in AI prompts can lead to more interesting and unique architectural designs.
  • 🛠 Adding material references in the AI prompt helps to steer the final images towards the desired outcome.
  • 🖼️ The speaker uses character modifiers like specific photographers or artists to influence the style of the AI-generated images.
  • 🔄 The process of blending and remixing AI images is key to discovering unexpected design elements and pushing the design forward.
  • 🏞️ The final result of the AI design process can be used as a starting point for further exploration and refinement in the architectural design.

Q & A

  • What is the common misconception about architecture creation mentioned in the transcript?

    -The common misconception is that architecture is created as a singular act by the architect, where a grand vision falls out of them onto the page, rather than being a long process starting with an idea and a sketch.

  • What is the role of AI in the speaker's architectural practice?

    -AI, specifically a tool called 'mid-journey,' is used as a design tool to experiment and generate various architectural concepts, aiding in the exploration of abstract ideas and solving design problems.

  • How does the speaker describe the experience of using 'mid-journey'?

    -The experience is described as addicting, a mix between gambling and watching old Polaroids develop, where one can spend time generating multiple building designs.

  • What is the significance of starting the AI prompt with an important modifier?

    -Starting the prompt with an important modifier is significant because words closer to the front of the prompt have more influence on the final result, guiding the AI to generate more relevant designs.

  • Why does the speaker prefer to think in terms of elemental forms rather than specific building types?

    -Thinking in terms of elemental forms allows for more creativity and specificity, which in turn leads to more interesting and unique architectural results.

  • What is the purpose of adding material references in the AI prompt?

    -Adding material references helps to steer the final images towards a desired aesthetic, making the AI-generated designs more aligned with the user's vision.

  • How does the speaker use character modifiers in the AI design process?

    -Character modifiers such as specific magazine styles or references to photographers and artists can be used to influence the style and mood of the AI-generated images.

  • What is the aspect ratio preset used by the speaker and why?

    -The speaker uses an aspect ratio of 16x9, which is a wide format image, to get different results compared to a vertical aspect ratio, and it helps in achieving a specific visual composition.

  • What is the final step in the speaker's AI design process after generating base images?

    -The final step is blending, which combines two to four images to create something unexpected, and then using those blended images to guide the AI in selecting certain traits in each iteration.

  • How does the speaker incorporate the AI-generated images into their design work?

    -The speaker uses the AI-generated images as a starting point for further design exploration, pushing the design forward by examining elements like the stone base and wood shroud, and considering their functional and aesthetic implications.

  • What is the speaker's view on the role of AI in the architectural design process?

    -The speaker views AI as another tool in the design process, not as a replacement for human creativity but as a way to explore more options and uncover new opportunities in architectural design.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Architectural Design Process and Experimentation

The speaker discusses the common misconception that architecture is a singular act of the architect with a grand vision. Instead, it's a lengthy process starting with an idea and sketch, followed by testing and experimentation. They introduce 'mid-journey' as a new tool for architectural design, comparing it to gambling and the development of old Polaroid photos. The speaker emphasizes the importance of abstract thinking and using mid-journey to sculpt landscapes and manipulate materials. They describe a method for using mid-journey effectively, starting with a prompt that includes modifiers, subject, material references, and environmental details. The speaker also explains the blending process, which combines multiple images to create unexpected results, and how these can be used to guide the design process further.

05:01

🌳 Exploring Design Options with Mid-Journey

This paragraph delves into the speaker's use of mid-journey to explore various architectural options. They describe how mid-journey allows for the examination of many more design possibilities than before, with the flexibility to iterate without preciousness or finality. The speaker uses the tool to experiment with exterior wood screens and the parallax effect, which changes the building's appearance based on the viewer's perspective. They mention the simplicity of the exterior volume contrasting with the complex relationship between the interior and exterior. The speaker concludes by emphasizing that mid-journey is another tool in the design process, helping to discover new opportunities and ideas that were not previously considered.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Architecture

Architecture is both the process and the product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or any other structures. In the context of the video, architecture is portrayed as an evolving idea that starts with a sketch and is refined through various iterations. The speaker discusses using AI as a tool to enhance this process, moving away from the misconception of architecture as a singular act to a more collaborative and iterative one.

💡Mid-journey

In the video, 'mid-journey' refers to the intermediate phase of the architectural design process where AI is utilized. It is described as an addictive tool that allows for the rapid generation of building designs, akin to the excitement of watching an old Polaroid photo develop. The term is used to illustrate the iterative nature of design, where AI can assist in exploring many more options than previously possible.

💡AI as a Design Tool

AI, or artificial intelligence, is presented in the video as a new and innovative design tool in the field of architecture. It is used to generate and blend various design elements, creating unique building concepts that might not have been considered otherwise. The speaker emphasizes how AI can help in sculpting landscapes, using materials in specific ways, and solving design problems, thus expanding the creative possibilities in architecture.

💡Sketch

A sketch in architecture is an initial rough drawing that conveys the basic idea of a design. The video mentions that every architectural process begins with an idea and a sketch, which is then tested and developed further. Sketches serve as the foundation for more detailed designs and are crucial in the early stages of conceptualizing a building or structure.

💡Experimentation

The speaker talks about experimenting with AI in their architectural practice, indicating a willingness to explore new methods and technologies. Experimentation is portrayed as a key part of the creative process, allowing the architect to push boundaries and discover unexpected design solutions by using AI to generate and blend images.

💡Averaging of Data

In the context of AI, 'averaging of data' refers to the process where the system analyzes multiple inputs, such as images of saunas in the video, and creates an output that represents a commonality among them. This process is used to generate familiar-looking sauna designs, demonstrating how AI can synthesize information to create new yet recognizable designs.

💡Elemental Forms

Elemental forms in design are basic geometric shapes or structures that serve as the building blocks for more complex designs. The video speaker prefers to think in terms of elemental forms rather than specific building types when using AI to generate designs. This approach allows for more creative freedom and can lead to the development of unique architectural concepts.

💡Blending

Blending in the video refers to the process of combining two to four images generated by AI to create a new composite image. This technique is used to explore design possibilities and to uncover unexpected elements that can inspire further development of the architectural concept. It is a key part of the iterative design process described by the speaker.

💡Remixing

Remixing in the context of the video is the act of reconfiguring or adjusting the AI-generated images to achieve a desired outcome. It involves reprompting the AI with different parameters or modifiers to guide it towards selecting certain traits in each iteration, thus refining the design and pushing it closer to the final vision.

💡Style Modifier

A style modifier is a specific directive given to the AI to influence the artistic style or aesthetic of the generated images. In the video, the speaker mentions using a style modifier of 1000 to encourage the AI to be 'wildly creative,' demonstrating how these modifiers can shape the output of the AI and contribute to the design process.

💡Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of an image or screen. In the video, the speaker discusses setting the aspect ratio to 16x9 for wide format images or 4x5 for more detailed shots. This choice impacts the composition and perspective of the AI-generated architectural designs.

Highlights

Architecture is often misconceived as a singular act by the architect, but it's a long process starting with an idea and a sketch.

The speaker has been experimenting with AI as a design tool in their architectural practice.

Mid-journey, an AI tool, is described as being addictive, combining elements of gambling and the development of Polaroids.

AI can generate buildings by averaging data, such as creating familiar sauna designs from input images.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of starting with a strong idea when using AI in design.

A method for using AI involves starting with an important modifier to influence the final result.

Elemental forms and specific historic building terms can lead to more interesting AI-generated results.

Adding material references helps to steer the final images towards the desired outcome.

Highly specific details and setting references can give more control over the AI's output.

Character modifiers, such as referencing styles of architects or artists, can influence the AI's creative direction.

The aspect ratio and style modifier are crucial in determining the format and creativity level of the AI's output.

The process involves remixing and reprompting until a satisfactory set of base images is achieved.

Blending multiple images can uncover unexpected design elements.

AI-generated images can serve as a starting point for further design development.

Anomalies in AI images can inspire new design directions, such as a light screen element in a live/work project.

The speaker considers the possibility of a movable element that changes the structure's aspect in the landscape.

The use of exterior wood screens can create a parallax effect, altering the building's appearance based on the viewer's perspective.

AI is positioned as another tool in the design process, allowing exploration of more options than previously possible.

The design process with AI involves guiding it to select for certain traits in each iteration.

The speaker finds that using AI exposes new opportunities in architectural design that were not previously considered.