Speedy Façade

AI-assisted urban design software can streamline development processes by focusing on massing studies that satisfy legal provisions, providing high-quality and optimized estimations. However, designer-oriented technical tools for urban and architectural design prevent some stakeholders, such as policymakers and citizens, from participating in the design process, potentially leading to poorly negotiated proposals, delaying their execution, and causing social deadweight loss. This paper presents Speedy Facade, a framework to enable the active participation of all stakeholders, by converting human verbal descriptions into textured 3D building facades inside traversable urban models. Speedy Facade consists of (1.) an interactive user interface for verbal inputs and keyword selections, (2.) an augmented reality environment with projected façade reference images that can be modified by mask projection selections and regenerations, and (3.) an editable three-dimensional model for experience and design development. The paper discusses the implementation approach and contribution to the urban design process of this work and showcases its applications, and prospects for future expansion.