Artificial Intelligence and Architecture

I recently gained the opportunity to interview Architect John Dutton on a call regarding Artificial Intelligence in his industry. Dutton is the Principal of Dutton Architects and a professor at the USC School of Architecture. During this interview Dutton shared the role AI currently plays in architecture, some of AI’s strengths and weaknesses, and why he ultimately believes architecture will continue to be grounded in human ideas.

In his everyday practice, John Dutton personally refrains from overly relying on AI, stating at his firm they even joked about this topic “we wanted to put these little stickers on that said, no part of this project has been designed by AI.” Rather than rely on artificial intelligence to power schematics for large projects or generate concepts, Dutton reveals alternative uses that are practiced at his firm: as a research tool. While participating in a public market design competition Dutton relied heavily on ChatGPT to research Bulgarian culture and estimate details of their project. When answering questions regarding pricing Dutton reports AI was able to provide their team with examples of buildings in Bulgaria that were similar to their design and location in order to estimate pricing in case contractors would have to bid on it. While this may seem minimal, Dutton points out that “I mean, there's no way five years ago we could have done that. There's just no way. Well, you'd have to go research it, right?” 

Alternatively, there are a good number of architects who DO heavily implement AI in key ways. Most notably, Zaha Hadid’s architecture firm which relies on a proprietary AI module from Nvidia to power projects. While these AI powered designs are visually impressive with complex shapes and forms, Dutton is somewhat critical of this modernist style; Architecture traditionally revolves around the principle of “form follows function” meaning the form of a building should serve its clients specific needs. AI lacks practical, client centered reasoning and will often prioritize a unique form rather than a practical design simply because it has the computational power to do so. 

While Dutton remains skeptical of AI’s role in designing modernist buildings, he draws an important distinction when discussing cities In this context, AI has the capacity to process massive amounts of data and run simulations that help planners understand how cities operate at scale. Dutton referenced existing examples such as IBM’s smart city initiatives, where AI-driven systems are already being used to analyze traffic flow, manage energy use, and coordinate infrastructure in major cities like Rio de Janeiro. 

Despite the many uses of Artificial Intelligence in both architecture and the development of cities, Dutton believes that some of the most important aspects of architecture are human driven. AI cannot replicate the empathy, intuition, and creativity that are critical to architecture. Dutton emphasizes that architecture is a collaborative process involving conversation and trust, particularly when working with clients over long periods of time to design personalized projects. Dutton states that it's this human touch to Architecture that ultimately makes cities interesting: “my favorite cities are ones that aren't functional, they have all these cool niche things. like Paris or parts of London or Rome or Barcelona where it's more about like sitting on a bench under this beautiful tree looking at the sea and having a coffee with a friend or going to get a beer and this cool back alley”

Based on this interview, the future of work in architecture will likely involve a balance between AI and human creativity. AI will continue to play a role in research, data analysis, large-scale planning, and making the design process more efficient. However, as John Dutton’s perspective shows, the most important parts of architecture—understanding people, culture, and experience—cannot be easily replaced by technology. Rather than taking over the profession, AI will serve as a tool that supports architects while human judgment and creativity remain as critical aspects to design.