Built Environment Futures Council

This new essay is part of my ongoing research, questions, and provocations on Artificial Intelligence in Architecture (published by AIA Philadelphia). The first few paragraphs are below: **In Search of Quality** People, purpose, and productivity shaping a new mindset and culture of design. Over the past 25 years, architects, engineers, builders, and fabricators have faced increasing demands to deliver more with fewer resources. As buildings become more complex, owners and stakeholders expect more space and amenities in less time, for less money, and with reduced labor. These mounting market pressures, both explicit and implicit, often compromise quality in its many forms—resilience, durability, craftsmanship, performance, aesthetics, sustainability, technical proficiency, and process. The design and build teams are both the creative force and the stewards of excellence in the built environment. If we genuinely believe that our buildings, structures, and spaces should enrich the human experience, how might we reestablish quality at the heart of the built environment? With significant challenges to tackle, along with emerging tools and evolving practice cultures, could cognitive computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced automation be the transformative catalysts we need to achieve a systemic recentering of quality and the human experience? If we look beyond automation, artificial intelligence's value in design and construction lies in its potential to enhance human capabilities. What new doors and possibilities does this open in our industry? Let’s take a different perspective from the usual design and construction space as we consider paths forward. For the last few years, author and professor Cal Newport has been shaping a critique of the modern knowledge workers’ notion of productivity and time spent on meaningful work. Though initially aimed at a broader audience, his insights are relevant to our industry and our question of quality. “Today, we're not nearly as comfortable with?this most fundamental of?activities. We talk a lot more about information — how we can get more of it, how we can?spread it faster — than we do its?processing. We see this in education systems built more around content than training the meta-activity of making sense of content.” (Cal Newport - In Defense Of Thinking – March 2021). In particular, the thesis in his new book, Slow Productivity, frames an inquiry, critique, and ultimate conclusions that are hard to imagine in architecture and design in our current frameworks yet compelling sketches when contemplating a future in which AI augments our work. #aia #aiaphiladelphia #ai #aiarchitecture #quality #design https://lnkd.in/e3k8Pv2N

ICYMI in this episode of Practice Disrupted, podcast host Evelyn Lee FAIA explores our work in the Built Environment Futures Council (BEFC) asking: How can we thoughtfully integrate AI into the architecture practice and collaboratively shape a sustainable and innovative future for all? Well worth a listen! https://lnkd.in/gqv7iaUh More about the BEFC here https://www.thebefc.org/ #architects #architecture #artificialintelligence #ai #designtechnology

How will AI redefine our architectural landscapes? Tune into Episode 151 of Practice Disrupted as Randy Deutsch FAIA, Matthew Krissel FAIA , and Amanda Nicole Bridges from the Built Environment Futures Council reveal the transformative power of AI in architecture. ????? Learn about their mission to integrate AI into design practices, making architectural services more accessible and fostering innovation. AI is a tricky and ever changing realm, but from what we can see, it can become a powerful tool for us to redefine our work. Think of the long hours put into drawings that could be automated, or idea generation that could help communicate the vision to clients faster. If this is something you're passionate about, give it a listen!