Experts' and AI perspectives on the environmental sustainability of tensile membrane structures

Purpose With increasing demands for sustainable construction, there is growing interest in enhancing the environmental performance of tensile membrane structures (TMS). This study aims to investigate the environmental sustainability challenges and opportunities of TMS across their lifecycle stages by integrating expert insights and advanced AI-generated perspectives. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was employed using semi-structured interviews with 16 experienced professionals including architects, engineers, contractors, builders, environmental sustainability experts and researchers. To enhance the reliability of findings and address potential gaps, the study also utilised artificial intelligence (AI) tools (ChatGPT and DeepSeek) to compare human expert insights with AI responses. Thematic analysis was conducted to categorise the results into core environmental sustainability themes. Findings Five interrelated themes were identified: (1) material innovation and environmental sustainability, (2) structural efficiency and lightweight design, (3) construction techniques and environmental sustainability alignment, (4) life durability management and (5) accessibility, inclusivity and waste management. These themes highlight critical performance indicators such as energy use, structural behaviour, material optimisation, user experience and maintenance strategies. The integration of AI insights helped highlight both consensus and gaps in expert knowledge. Originality/value This study provides a systematic qualitative investigation of environmental sustainability in TMS from an expert-practice perspective and is among the first to compare expert insights with AI-generated assessments of environmental sustainability within the TMS domain. The research contributes to the growing field of environmentally responsive structural design by offering actionable strategies for embedding environmental sustainability assessment practices into TMS planning and implementation. The findings provide valuable guidance for architects, engineers and policymakers seeking to enhance low-carbon design decisions in membrane architecture.