Theory & Context_Circular Matter

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

Designing With Insight: How AI Can Help Us Build More Inclusive Cities

Introduction — Where My Interest Began My interest in AI and its application in the AEC industry started before this course. During the IAAC GSS, I worked on a study in Bogotá using GIS and image‑recognition tools to map sensory criticality in care-focused urban zones. What surprised me most was how accessible the process was. … Read more

Casa Tosquella: The Mending of the Commons

Heritage is not memoryHeritage is Production + Community In the dense urban fabric of Sant Gervasi, Casa Tosquella sleeps a Modernista jewel originally conceived as a summer retreat, now stranded in a city grappling with permanent heat. This project explores the tension between heritage preservation and climatic urgency. The proposal views the building not as … Read more

Compl-AI: AI system for predicting building-code compliance in residential construction

Current construction projects lack a reliable early-warning system to predict building-code compliance issues, which leads to delays, rework, safety risks and higher project cost. Traditional inspections usually occur near the end of construction. This makes it difficult to correct issues efficiently and increases the risk of delays and safety concerns. Visual problems such as unsafe … Read more

THE MANUFACTURED VERNACULAR 

Image of comparison between a vernacular structure and a modern structure

Turning time-tested vernacular intelligence into scalable, multi-hazard self sufficient building INTRODUCTION See this image above? yes, its comparison between two structures that survived a 6.8 rector scale earthquake in year 2005. The ironic part is , that these vernacular structures hold the carbon friendly intelligence responding towards climate adaptation and structural resistance against earthquakes, yet … Read more