Generative AI (genAI) is increasingly influencing architectural design practice and is expected to affect, or even transform, the profession, even though its benefits and costs remain unresolved. In response, design schools are increasingly integrating genAI into their curricula. Yet this integration creates a paradox: critical engagement with genAI often requires increased use of the tools in question, despite limited methods for estimating their environmental cost in teaching contexts. In this paper, we argue that HCI offers a useful methodological lens for addressing this tension. We propose three HCI-informed directions for more sustainable genAI integration in architectural education: contextual eco-feedback, participatory stakeholder scoping, and reframing data centres as an interdisciplinary focus. We therefore argue that genAI should be understood not only as a new architectural design tool, but also as a socio-technical process that architectural education, and design education in general, must engage with critically.
Conventional AI-driven AMS design automation algorithms remain constrained by their reliance on high-quality datasets to capture underlying circuit behavior, coupled with poor transferability across architectures, and a lack of adaptive mechanisms. This work proposes HeaRT, a hierarchical circuit reasoning-based agentic framework for automation loops and a step toward adaptive, human-style design optimization. HeaRT consistently improves F1(subcircuits) by >= 13.5% and F1(loops) by >= 37.8% over few-shot prompting baselines across multiple LLM backbones on our 40-circuit AMS benchmark of flattened SPICE netlists, even as circuit complexity increases. Our experiments further show that HeaRT achieves >= 3x faster convergence in incremental design adaptation tasks under specification shifts across diverse optimization approaches, supporting both topology reconfiguration and sizing.
Ying-Kuan Tsai, Vispi Karkaria, Yi-Ping Chen
et al.
Control Co-Design (CCD) integrates physical and control system design to improve the performance of dynamic and autonomous systems. Despite advances in uncertainty-aware CCD methods, real-world uncertainties remain highly unpredictable. Multi-generation design addresses this challenge by considering the full lifecycle of a product: data collected from each generation informs the design of subsequent generations, enabling progressive improvements in robustness and efficiency. Digital Twin (DT) technology further strengthens this paradigm by creating virtual representations that evolve over the lifecycle through real-time sensing, model updating, and adaptive re-optimization. This paper presents a DT-enabled CCD framework that integrates Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to jointly optimize physical design and controller. DRL accelerates real-time decision-making by allowing controllers to continuously learn from data and adapt to uncertain environments. Extending this approach, the framework employs a multi-generation paradigm, where each cycle of deployment, operation, and redesign uses collected data to refine DT models, improve uncertainty quantification through quantile regression, and inform next-generation designs of both physical components and controllers. The framework is demonstrated on an active suspension system, where DT-enabled learning from road conditions and driving behaviors yields smoother and more stable control trajectories. Results show that the method significantly enhances dynamic performance, robustness, and efficiency. Contributions of this work include: (1) extending CCD into a lifecycle-oriented multi-generation framework, (2) leveraging DTs for continuous model updating and informed design, and (3) employing DRL to accelerate adaptive real-time decision-making.
Jiahang Li, Lucas Cazzonelli, Jacqueline Höllig
et al.
The growing adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies enables automated, real-time collection of manufacturing process data, unlocking new opportunities for data-driven product development. Current data-driven methods are generally applied within specific domains, such as design or manufacturing, with limited exploration of integrating design features and manufacturing process data. Since design decisions significantly affect manufacturing outcomes, such as error rates, energy consumption, and processing times, the lack of such integration restricts the potential for data-driven product design improvements. This paper presents a data-driven approach to mapping and analyzing the relationship between design features and manufacturing process data. A comprehensive system architecture is developed to ensure continuous data collection and integration. The linkage between design features and manufacturing process data serves as the basis for developing a machine learning model that enables automated design improvement suggestions. By integrating manufacturing process data with sustainability metrics, this approach opens new possibilities for sustainable product development.
An autoethnographic account of a mundane moment in a small café in Newcastle captures experiences, observations and qualities in text. A conscious effort is made not to overlook or filter the minutiae of the setting and events, to focus on the familiar spaces and everyday experiences we typically disregard due to their ordinariness. My concern with the ordinary builds on a lineage of influential Japanese figures who extract meaning from similar, seemingly trivial urban encounters in the city: artist and architectural scholar Wajirō Kon; the Street Observation Society (ROJO), with architectural historian Terunobu Fujimori and artist Genpei Akasegawa; and Atelier Bow-Wow's founding partners, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima. This essay explores these figures and their approaches to the city as exemplified in their surveys, moving from Kon's “modernology,” to ROJO's search for “Thomassons,” and Atelier Bow-Wow's guidebooks. Collectively, these surveys – covering different phenomena from the 1920s to the 2000s – show how a consistent observational gaze was preserved and ultimately led to the discovery of singularities that might normally be dismissed or go unnoticed. Extending this observational gaze, I will revisit this lineage of ordinary observation through Gilles Deleuze's figure of the “child-player,” who encounters the world with a radical openness, curiosity and freedom from prejudgment. This Deleuzian re-reading argues that the discoveries of Kon, ROJO and Atelier Bow-Wow constitute a creative practice that begins with the act of noticing and evolves through drawing as a form of interpretive representation. This interpretative form transcends the original goal of documentation suggested by the urban survey. Instead, drawing recreates the original act of discovery, and re-enacts observed phenomena, imbuing them with new meanings. Read the full article online at: https://drawingon.org/Issue-04-02-Cracks-Chairs-and-Child-Players
Contemporary perceptions of the figure of the fighting-cock are shaped by a human-built avian architectural history saturated with masculine gender identities and perceived as conflicting with prevailing social norms. The fighting-cock appears in literature and art as a symbol of masculine valour, a surrogate human, or an avatar enacting a form of animality deemed socially unacceptable. This perception differs markedly from other social human–animal interactions and constructions, which accept – or consciously ignore – other gendered uses of animals. Hens, for instance, are an accepted part of our landscape and rendered largely passive, their bodies consumed, literally and visually. And yet the fighting-cock is a human construct, shaped by the manipulation of a territorial instinct, raised in isolation and conditioned to fight. His body is placed within a purpose-built architectural space of action – the cockpit – connecting prosthetic violence to architectural spectacle. This project argues that the fighting-cock’s material and mythological presence calls for a re-imagining. Through a critique prompted by an invitation to design and share an object, the figure of the fighting-cock becomes a site through which to challenge gendered animal architectures and imagine more-than-human futures. Read the full article online at: https://drawingon.org/Issue-04-04-Battle-Birds
This paper aims to examine the past and present conditions, update them, and investigate postgraduate programmes in project and construction management in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It also serves as a reference for researchers on this subject. Although comparable research has been done in Turkey, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was included in the study because there hasn't been any research done there. In order to accomplish this, the second section provided a historical overview of the history of project and construction management. Project and construction management postgraduate programmes were investigated and researched in the third section. The current state of postgraduate programmes in project and construction management was described in the fourth section. Seventeen common headings were established in order to compare the information in the postgraduate programmes. Information for each postgraduate programme was specified under the common headings, and charts based on this information were created. Postgraduate programmes in project and construction management were assessed in the fifth section, and the results were presented.
The maintenance, archiving and usage of the design drawings is cumbersome in physical form in different industries for longer period. It is hard to extract information by simple scanning of drawing sheets. Converting them to their digital formats such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), with needed knowledge extraction can solve this problem. The conversion of these machine drawings to its digital form is a crucial challenge which requires advanced techniques. This research proposes an innovative methodology utilizing Deep Learning methods. The approach employs object detection model, such as Yolov7, Faster R-CNN, to detect physical drawing objects present in the images followed by, edge detection algorithms such as canny filter to extract and refine the identified lines from the drawing region and curve detection techniques to detect circle. Also ornaments (complex shapes) within the drawings are extracted. To ensure comprehensive conversion, an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool is integrated to identify and extract the text elements from the drawings. The extracted data which includes the lines, shapes and text is consolidated and stored in a structured comma separated values(.csv) file format. The accuracy and the efficiency of conversion is evaluated. Through this, conversion can be automated to help organizations enhance their productivity, facilitate seamless collaborations and preserve valuable design information in a digital format easily accessible. Overall, this study contributes to the advancement of CAD conversions, providing accurate results from the translating process. Future research can focus on handling diverse drawing types, enhanced accuracy in shape and line detection and extraction.
We explore ideas and inclusive practices for designing and testing child-centered artificially intelligent technologies for neurodivergent children. AI is promising for supporting social communication, self-regulation, and sensory processing challenges common for neurodivergent children. The authors, both neurodivergent individuals and related to neurodivergent people, draw from their professional and personal experiences to offer insights on creating AI technologies that are accessible and include input from neurodivergent children. We offer ideas for designing AI technologies for neurodivergent children and considerations for including them in the design process while accounting for their sensory sensitivities. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of adaptable and supportive AI technologies and design processes and call for further conversation to refine child-centered AI design and testing methods.
We introduce DEsignBench, a text-to-image (T2I) generation benchmark tailored for visual design scenarios. Recent T2I models like DALL-E 3 and others, have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in generating photorealistic images that align closely with textual inputs. While the allure of creating visually captivating images is undeniable, our emphasis extends beyond mere aesthetic pleasure. We aim to investigate the potential of using these powerful models in authentic design contexts. In pursuit of this goal, we develop DEsignBench, which incorporates test samples designed to assess T2I models on both "design technical capability" and "design application scenario." Each of these two dimensions is supported by a diverse set of specific design categories. We explore DALL-E 3 together with other leading T2I models on DEsignBench, resulting in a comprehensive visual gallery for side-by-side comparisons. For DEsignBench benchmarking, we perform human evaluations on generated images in DEsignBench gallery, against the criteria of image-text alignment, visual aesthetic, and design creativity. Our evaluation also considers other specialized design capabilities, including text rendering, layout composition, color harmony, 3D design, and medium style. In addition to human evaluations, we introduce the first automatic image generation evaluator powered by GPT-4V. This evaluator provides ratings that align well with human judgments, while being easily replicable and cost-efficient. A high-resolution version is available at https://github.com/design-bench/design-bench.github.io/raw/main/designbench.pdf?download=
3D shape generation techniques leveraging deep learning have garnered significant interest from both the computer vision and architectural design communities, promising to enrich the content in the virtual environment. However, research on virtual architectural design remains limited, particularly regarding designer-AI collaboration and deep learning-assisted design. In our survey, we reviewed 149 related articles (81.2% of articles published between 2019 and 2023) covering architectural design, 3D shape techniques, and virtual environments. Through scrutinizing the literature, we first identify the principles of virtual architecture and illuminate its current production challenges, including datasets, multimodality, design intuition, and generative frameworks. We then introduce the latest approaches to designing and generating virtual buildings leveraging 3D shape generation and summarize four characteristics of various approaches to virtual architecture. Based on our analysis, we expound on four research agendas, including agency, communication, user consideration, and integrating tools. Additionally, we highlight four important enablers of ubiquitous interaction with immersive systems in deep learning-assisted architectural generation. Our work contributes to fostering understanding between designers and deep learning techniques, broadening access to designer-AI collaboration. We advocate for interdisciplinary efforts to address this timely research topic, facilitating content designing and generation in the virtual environment.
The recent progress of text-to-image generation has been recognized in architectural design. Our study is the first to investigate the potential of text-to-image generators in supporting creativity during the early stages of the architectural design process. We conducted a laboratory study with 17 architecture students, who developed a concept for a culture center using three popular text-to-image generators: Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL-E. Through standardized questionnaires and group interviews, we found that image generation could be a meaningful part of the design process when design constraints are carefully considered. Generative tools support serendipitous discovery of ideas and an imaginative mindset, enriching the design process. We identified several challenges of image generators and provided considerations for software development and educators to support creativity and emphasize designers' imaginative mindset. By understanding the limitations and potential of text-to-image generators, architects and designers can leverage this technology in their design process and education, facilitating innovation and effective communication of concepts.
The development of students’ critical and creative thinking skills is at the core of the first-semester basic design studio. Students’ perceptual experiences of their environment form the key references of abstraction in this beginning phase. This paper inquires studio approach based on abstraction and mapping as tools for intertwining visual reasoning and bodily experiences in the design process. Focusing on the case study of a basic design studio assignment, the authors analyze the structure, application, and products of the “Urban Abstraction and Mapping” project. The study adopted the case-study method as part of qualitative research approach and dwelled on researchers’ first-hand interaction with a phenomenon within its real-life context, ARCH/MIM101 studios. The findings showed that abstraction and mapping strategies based on students’ bodily experiences in urban contexts raised awareness of design as a generative and iterative research process. Students who were able to reveal and reconstruct the relationship between different forms of knowledge through experiential and conceptual levels of the design process managed to develop heuristic 2D and 3D design strategies. The findings of this study provide a ground for discussions on the effectiveness of teaching/learning methods applied in the introductory level of design education.
<p>This work presents part of the experience accumulated by the research team of which the authors are members in data collection and information management for the representation of architectural and artistic heritage. To do so, we will analyze the results according to the characteristics of the elements to be studied, which we shall classify according to their scale, location, and nature. In this sense, we propose three working approaches: the L scale, linked to exterior urban spaces, the M scale, for buildings and their interiors, and the S scale, for movable objects and sculptures. Likewise, we address an aspect that is not often dealt with in scientific publications, such as the importance of the graphic planning of tasks and timings in order to make campaigns more efficient. In addition, we performed a critical analysis of the workflows prioritizing the characteristics of the object and the physical constraints that researchers in this field must overcome.<br />As a case study, we shall use the Chapel of San Ildefonso, the foundational space of the University of Alcalá (Madrid), declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The heritage qualities of this space allow us to test and exemplify the work process according to the aforementioned scales of approximation. That is to say, the facade as an example of urban scale (L), the wooden coffered ceiling as the main element of the building´s interior (M) and the tomb of Cardinal Cisneros and the adjacent altarpiece as an example of movable scale (S). In short, the contribution is a reference for the effective planning and execution of the survey process, as well as for the processing of the models discussed.</p><p>DOI: https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.30.2023.5</p>
Günümüzde ulusal ve uluslararası konjonktürdeki gelişmelerin ışığında dijitalleşme ile geleneksel eğitim yöntemleri dönüşmekte ve değişmektedir. Covid-19 süreci ile üniversitelerde eğitim çevrimiçi ortama geçmiştir. Bu çalışmada tasarım eğitiminde çevrimiçi ortamın etki ve sonuçları araştırılırken, dijital platform olarak adlandırılan öğrenme yönetim sistemlerinin (ÖYS) arayüzleri ile öğrenci arasındaki etkileşime odaklanılmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, öğrenci-eğitmen, öğrenci-öğrenci ve öğrenci-içerik etkileşim türlerini içine alan öğrenci-arayüz etkileşimi değerlendirilmekte ve İzmir’de tasarım eğitimi veren iki üniversitede çevrimiçi eğitimde kullanılan “Sakai” ve “Blackboard” arayüzleri üzerinden öğrenci etkileşimi incelenmektedir. Kullanıcı araştırma yöntemlerinden, davranışsal, tutumsal ve niteliksel eksende yer alan odak grup görüşmeleri ve çevrimiçi anket çalışmaları tamamlanmış, elde edilen verilerin niteliksel içerik analizi yapılmıştır. Araştırmada ayrıca kullanılan platformların ve arayüzlerinin tercih edilmemesinin nedenleri, öğrencilerin kullandıkları diğer iletişim araçların rolü ve önemi araştırılmıştır. Öğrenciler ÖYS üzerinden etkileşimlerinin düşük olduğunu belirtmiş, etkileşim düzeyinin fiziksel ortama göre daha az olduğu görülmüştür. Fakat çevrimiçi eğitimde kullanılan diğer araçlar ve platformlar göz önüne alındığında etkileşim düzeyi bir üst seviyeye çıkmıştır. Öğrencilerin güncel düşünce ve yorumları alınarak yapılan bu çalışmanın gelecekteki kullanıcı odaklı dijital tasarımların ve tasarım eğitiminde var olan çevrimiçi koşulların geliştirilmesine katkıda bulunması hedeflenmiştir.
Understanding the interplay of gender and environmental perception is important in recognizing how architectural environments can either reinforce or challenge gendered norms and experiences. Literature reviews at a glance show differences between the environmental perception of women and men, which have significant implications for projects aimed at improving the quality of the environment. Thus, 240 architecture students were invited to participate in a photo exhibition of forty images of various architectural buildings and answer a survey questions regarding the content of photos in the current study. The purpose was to determine how students perceive the environment and to examine perceptual differences among them. Data obtained were collected based on inferential and comparative approaches and were analyzed with SPSS software using Pearson correlation tests and one-sample t-tests. Specifically, the results suggest that females pay more detailed attention to the environment’s components than males, while males focus more holistically on the environment content. The results typically indicate that individuals are sensitive to all aspects when confronted with the environment, so all of their senses are active in such a process, accordingly, this should be considered when designing the environment so that all of the user’s senses are stimulated in a desired manner.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significant potential for product design: AI can check technical and non-technical constraints on products, it can support a quick design of new product variants and new AI methods may also support creativity. But currently product design and AI are separate communities fostering different terms and theories. This makes a mapping of AI approaches to product design needs difficult and prevents new solutions. As a solution, this paper first clarifies important terms and concepts for the interdisciplinary domain of AI methods in product design. A key contribution of this paper is a new classification of design problems using the four characteristics decomposability, inter-dependencies, innovation and creativity. Definitions of these concepts are given where they are lacking. Early mappings of these concepts to AI solutions are sketched and verified using design examples. The importance of creativity in product design and a corresponding gap in AI is pointed out for future research.
How might we use cognitive modeling to consider the ways in which antiblackness, and racism more broadly, impact the design and development of AI systems? We provide a discussion and an example towards an answer to this question. We use the ACT-R/Φ cognitive architecture and an existing knowledge graph system, ConceptNet, to consider this question not only from a cognitive and sociocultural perspective, but also from a physiological perspective. In addition to using a cognitive modeling as a means to explore how antiblackness may manifest in the design and development of AI systems (particularly from a software engineering perspective), we also introduce connections between antiblackness, the Human, and computational cognitive modeling. We argue that the typical eschewing of sociocultural processes and knowledge structures in cognitive architectures and cognitive modeling implicitly furthers a colorblind approach to cognitive modeling and hides sociocultural context that is always present in human behavior and affects cognitive processes.
This article proposes an integration of methods and sources from the field of architectural design, on the one hand, and evaluation disciplines, on the other. By analysing some emerging trends in the residential demand, highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic but referable to phenomena characterised by much longer trajectories, the research aims to highlight certain criticalities and shortcomings in the current design and evaluation practices and to shed new light on the potential value of spaces that are typically underused – and underestimated – but highly transformable. The text thus introduces a critical-methodological reflection, which offers a new perspective for the study of neighbourhoods characterised by a high level of “peripheralisation”.
Aesthetics of cities. City planning and beautifying, Architectural drawing and design