Architects and engineers have long harnessed the power of software to automate aspects of the design of buildings and structures, but a new breed of generative design tools based on artificial intelligence is pushing the boundaries of scale, complexity and computational power like never before.
Software products like Delve, by Google’s sister company Sidewalk Labs, and Spacemaker, recently acquired by Autodesk, churn through reams of numerical and contextual data and, based on project priorities, spit out a series of optimised designs for developments, neighbourhoods or even entire city districts.
AI and machine-learning algorithms enable the tools to crunch more data and weigh up a plethora of project considerations much faster than human design teams can achieve.
This can take the stress out of complex urban design work, enabling city planners to explore a greater variety of options than normally possible and leading to better outcomes for things like...