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# Theory

Repositioning Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Decision-Making in AEC


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

MACAD 25-26 Theory Seminar Reflection This essay reflects on my evolving understanding of the purpose of Artificial Intelligence in architecture, engineering, and construction following the Theory seminar at MACAD. Rather than attempting a comprehensive overview, it centres on a specific experience that crystallised broader implications about how these tools are restructuring design practice. My initial … Read more

Make the Vulnerable, Less Vulnerable


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

Brazil Vulnerability Cartography Brazil, a vast and vibrant country, is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes from rolling highlands to expansive savannas. It’s known for iconic beaches and bustling urban centers where a dynamic blend of cultures and ethnicities come together. Its cities hum with energy, music, and art. Together, these diverse landscapes and rich social … Read more

From Design to Construction: A Conversation With Oriol Carrasco


MRAC-01 2025-2026 by
MRAC-01 2025-2026

Oriol Carrasco – Anomaly.Build Oriol Carrasco is a PhD architect from Barcelona. He is a senior fabrication expert at IAAC with extensive expertise in composite manufacturing. Oriol currently teaches in MAA and 3DpA programs. He has been co-leading the Design with Nature research line since 2013, teaching now in the metabolic introductory studio.  He has … Read more

Cities on the Edge


MaCT-01 2025-2026 by
MaCT-01 2025-2026

How borders shape frontiers of urban life? I. Introduction Borders are often perceived as abstract lines on maps, yet they deeply shape how cities grow, connect, and fragment. Cities located along international borders experience unique spatial, social, and political conditions that distinguish them from inland urban areas. This project investigates borders not as static lines, … Read more

URBAN-Ai: AI based forecasting platform that predicts evolution of urban density and land-use.


MaAI-01 2025-2026 by
MaAI-01 2025-2026

The growth of cities on an urban level has been very random and often scattered due to several reasons, like; UNDPREDICTABLE URBAN GROWTH, DYNAMIC ZONING TRENDS and SHIFTING DEMANDS. This has led to the cities being have to be planned reactively rather than proactively. This has led to a problem of cities being inefficient, rising … Read more

Theory & Context＿Circular Matter


MRAC-01 2025-2026 by
MRAC-01 2025-2026

In her lecture titled Circular Matter, Areti Markopoulou examined the urgent transition from a linear to a circular paradigm within the built environment. She began by outlining the structural problems embedded in today’s construction industry, which relies heavily on resource-intensive, difficult-to-recover materials. As cities continue to expand, this linear “extract–manufacture–use–discard” model has become environmentally unsustainable. Markopoulou … Read more

Beyond Efficiency


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

The Purpose of AI in the Age of Resource Scarcity Introduction: Redefining the Question The question “What is the purpose of AI in AEC?” often elicits a predictable response focused on speed. For years the industry has viewed Artificial Intelligence primarily as a mechanism for automation. It is seen as a faster way to produce … Read more

Act at Dawn


MAA 2025-2026 by
MAA 2025-2026

What modes of activism do the ends of a world trigger? Introduction This project was developed as part of the Advanced Theory Seminar: The Earthly Convivium – Conversational Narratives. The seminar invites students to work with theory not as a distant academic exercise, but as a tool to build fictional situations where different worldviews collide. … Read more

WHEN DESIGN~MEETS DATA


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

In the early stages of learning, artificial intelligence was perceived primarily as a digital aid tools created to improve efficiency, accuracy, and coordination across different stages of a project. AI was largely understood as a decision-support system, particularly valuable during the early design phases, yet always positioned as secondary to human expertise and judgment. However, … Read more

Beyond Speed: Redefining the Purpose of AI in the AEC Industry


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Initial Perspective: AI as an Efficiency Tool At the beginning of the course, I viewed AI primarily as a means to enhance productivity. It appeared to be a practical instrument for automating routine tasks, such as refining designs or performing structural calculations. By minimizing errors, reducing time requirements, and lowering costs, AI could expedite project … Read more

What would have Bucky said?


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026

Middle east, 1067 AC scene 1: Long before the word algorithm existed, a woman draws lines in the send. She is not an architect. The word does not exist yet either. She is simply someone who must decide where people sleep when the river floods. She draws, erases, redraws.She listens to the wind.While She remembers … Read more

AI In AEC


MaCAD 2025-2026 by
MaCAD 2025-2026
Image Credit: Future Architecture

In the very first lecture of the theory class, AI was a scary, unpredictable tool for me. However, after deep thinking and various perspectives, it feels more like a “work buddy”. In this blog, I’d like to elaborate more on this shift in idea I had. Nowadays, in nearly every sector, people are scared of … Read more