Rethinking Early Design with AI: How Technology is Transforming Architecture
- mbharch
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
In architecture, the earliest design phases hold the most potential for impact. The ability to rapidly assess a site, test multiple design strategies, and understand the trade-offs between cost, carbon, and livability can fundamentally change how we approach the built environment. At MBH Architects, we are leveraging artificial intelligence to do just that—augmenting human creativity with powerful tools that help us move faster, think deeper, and design smarter.
From Data to Decision: The Role of AI in Early-Stage Design
Traditionally, the process of evaluating different design options—whether shifting the placement of a building, altering its height, or relocating public spaces—was time-consuming and often constrained by the limits of human bandwidth. With AI-powered tools like Autodesk Forma, our teams can now explore a vast array of configurations in real time. Whether it's adjusting a building’s orientation to reduce highway noise or testing how a playground’s location affects a development’s livability score, AI helps us move from possibility to clarity in minutes, not weeks.
The result? Designs that are more sustainable, cost-effective, and responsive to human needs—created in a fraction of the time. For example, tasks that once took two weeks of manual effort can now be completed in just six hours. That’s not just productivity; it’s a paradigm shift.
Exploring Trade-Offs, Faster
One of the most powerful aspects of AI in architecture is its ability to help us visualize and weigh trade-offs. There’s no singular formula for balancing operational carbon, embodied carbon, construction cost, and livability. But AI allows us to model thousands of permutations—each with different implications—and see how the "dials" turn as we prioritize different values. We’re not asking the software to give us answers, but rather to give us insight.
With this computational power, architects can make better-informed decisions at the moment when it matters most: the beginning. Waiting to address sustainability or cost later in the design or construction phases means missed opportunities. AI enables us to front-load those conversations and get to better outcomes, faster.
Collaboration and Customization
Another key benefit of AI tools is how they support integrated, collaborative workflows. By incorporating decades of project data and working in tandem with developers and technology partners, we’re able to tailor our design strategies to reflect how we actually build. This isn’t abstract modeling—it’s grounded in real-world experience. We can instantly pull from past projects, understand adjacencies, and adapt proven strategies to new contexts. It’s a smarter, more connected way to work.
AI in Architecture as an Augmenter, Not a Replacement
Crucially, AI isn’t replacing the architect—it’s empowering us. The best outcomes come from the synergy between human judgment and computational exploration. AI can present us with a range of optimized options based on specific criteria, but it still takes the architect’s vision to weigh those options and chart a course forward.
Ready to design smarter? Discover how MBH Architects is using AI to reshape the future of architecture—where faster decisions, better outcomes, and sustainable solutions start from day one.
