Insights + Perspectives

The Phoenix project combines AI-powered technology with innovative mycelium-based materials to rapidly construct affordable housing.

Using AI and first-of-its-kind innovations, the Phoenix will bring affordable housing to market faster and with fewer emissions.

Podcast about the collaboration between MBH Architects and Autodesk on the innovative multi-family housing project Project Phoenix.

Arch Daily | May 28, 2024 by Amy Bunszel At the turn of the century, architects embraced 3D parametric modeling through building information modeling (BIM), and in the last 10 years connected BIM to the cloud to improve coordination and productivity. But BIM struggles to unify data and workflows across the entire plan, design, build and operate lifecycle. Integrating AI—along with granular data and automation—will empower the next generation of architects with a more connecte

Engineering News Record | January 26, 2024 by Jeff Yoders The site of the former Phoenix Ironworks Steel Factory in West Oakland, Calif., has sat empty for 35 years even as a housing crisis has gripped the area and led to accidents such as the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in 2016. But the five-acre slab of concrete will soon become new housing thanks to an effort from Autodesk, Kreysler & Associates, Factory_OS and MBH Architects. Developers of The Phoenix plan to have 316 affor

Utopia | January 10, 2024 The Phoenix will be built at about half the cost, time, and carbon footprint of a typical multifamily building in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the project team. Photo courtesy Autodesk In Oakland, Calif., a five-acre lot that once housed an ironworks factory remained empty or underused for almost three decades. At the same time, the area’s population grew and its housing crisis intensified. AI and mushrooms are helping to transform this p

San Francisco Chronicle | November 13 by Chase DiFeliciantonio Can artificial intelligence design a viable building? And, if so, how much could it speed construction of Bay Area homes? In a housing-starved market like the Bay Area, some property developers are turning to the promise of AI, hoping to cut down on design and building time and save money in the process. But in an area known for its permitting nightmares — especially in San Francisco, where putting up housing take

Autodesk | November 13 by David Benjamin In 1989, the Phoenix Ironworks Steel Factory in West Oakland, California moved to a smaller location near the marina. The buildings and equipment were dismantled, leaving a 5-acre slab of concrete next to the I-880 freeway. For almost 30 years, the site was empty or underused, even as the population in the region grew, the cost of construction increased, and the housing crisis became more urgent. This empty plot of land in West Oakland