Yes, you can just press the button and get the house plan done by AI. Sounds all too good to be true, doesn’t it?

In this post, I want to open up what really happens behind the scenes of architectural design, and the role that AI cannot yet reach.

The Human Side of Design

As an architect, I have seen how the industry is having high hopes on AI to take part in the design process. Me too, I want to be helped by AI. However, personally I think that not all of the AI daydreams will be true. The creative process is different, you can’t know what you get until it’s there.

Why We Design, and for Whom

First, we must understand why we design things in the first place. Architectural design starts with conceptual design phase and sketching. Especially when designing homes, this is when we must understand the people who live in it and turn the house into a home. So, the very first thing to do is to get to know the client: to understand the client’s mind, personality and way of living. It is critical to choose the right architect (from client’s point of view) and on the other hand to choose the right client (from architect's point of view). The chemistry between those two is everything. Designing a family house must be based on trust and conversation, not algorithms.

Design Takes Time

AI doesn’t do interviews or conversations. It jumps straight to results. But to form a diamond, it takes time. Same way the design work is a process that lasts months or even years. During that time even the client learns more about themselves and their real needs. AI doesn’t come even close to that. To summarize this, I would say that the work of architect is not to design the house but to understand the people and to turn that understanding into sketch drawings. The sketch design phase ends where AI design is able to start.

AI and Nordic Design

How about the architectural sketch plans, e.g. the Finnish Architect catalogue? These plans are not client-based products, they showcase Nordic-inspired houses with carefully considered layouts. AI can come very close to that, though I doubt that AI fully understands Nordic design (or any other architectural style) and logic behind it. I’ve tried to use AI when working on façade composition. It doesn’t quite work - at least not yet.

In that sense, good design most likely is not fast. There are hundreds of questions that we meet during the sketch design process. The faster it’s done, the fewer questions are answered. Think about slow food and fast food – which do you prefer to your daily diet?

AI Has Options, No Opinion

AI is not human, it doesn’t have opinions, it has thoughts. By that I mean that with AI anything goes. If you say you would like to have a design with modern style windows and historical style doors, AI will present you that design. Human, in this case the architect, would have an opinion about mixing styles. The opinion might be approval or disapproval, but the important thing is that it is a professional opinion which is always rooted in values. Therefore, AI offers options, architect makes choices.

Empathy, Space, and Light

In Nordic design the sense of space or the feeling is what matters, really. The human touch, intuition, sensitivity to materials and natural light, AI cannot reach that. AI is a machine that can mimic all that but doesn’t really have actual knowledge about how good it feels to have the Sunday morning cappuccino by the East side window. AI mimics function, not empathy. AI knows, doesn’t feel. 

Responsibility and the Reality

Nordic architecture is not just style, it’s a way to think, a way to live even: the light, the seasons, the materials, the silence. This is cultural knowledge that has been gathered during centuries.

Final design is a promise: “This can be done and I will help you through the process.” Designer takes responsibility, AI doesn’t. The building must stand the test of reality. If you’re planning to build your home, I advise you not to put your money and effort into something that is not approved by a professional.

AI as a Creative Partner

I can’t emphasize enough how powerful AI can be as a tool. It’s a very good idea generator and it really helps architects to play with crazy ideas. However, generating ideas is different than creating a design, which usually starts with a bunch of ideas that will be taken off as the design goes further. Understanding this and knowing how to separate good ideas from the bad, is where the human architect steps out.

In the digital world, it’s easy to see pdf or dwg files as nothing more than digital outposts. In fact, they are proof of human thinking – architects think through drawings. The important question is not whether AI can design but why we design. What is the purpose of design? We build houses to last decades, even centuries. We must not overlook the design process.

Conclusion — Welcome AI, Welcome Creativity

I use AI as a design tool to generate ideas and to check the design for errors from time to time. I never let AI design; I only let it improve my design process.

I don’t think AI will ever take the place of creative professionals. I believe that AI will give more tools for to be even more creative. I am excited to have AI as my team member.

Welcome AI, welcome creativity!

P.S. All in-article images were AI-assisted creations. The cover photo is an original work photograph from the Finnish Architect’s own studio.