Text-to-building: experiments with AI-generated 3D geometry for building design and structure generation

Abstract The paper seeks to investigate novel potentials for building design and structure generation that arise at the intersection of computational design and AI-generated 3D geometries. Although the use of AI technologies is exponentially increasing inside the architectural discipline, the design of spatial building configurations using AI-generated 3D geometries is still limited in its applications and represents an ongoing field of investigation in advanced architectural research. In this regard, several questions still need to be answered: how can we design new building typologies from AI-generated 3D geometries? And how can we use these typologies to shape both the real and the virtual world? The paper proposes a new approach to architectural design where artificial intelligence is used as the starting point for design exploration, while computational design procedures are employed to convert AI-generated 3D geometries into building elements – such as columns, beams, horizontal and vertical surfaces. The paper starts with a general overview of the current use of artificial intelligence inside the architectural discipline, and then it moves towards the explanation of specific AI generative models for 3D geometry reconstruction and representation. Subsequently, the proposed working pipeline is analysed in more detail – from the creation of 3D geometries using generative AI models to the conversion of such geometries into building elements that can be further designed and optimised using computational design tools and methods. The results shown in the paper are achieved using Shap-E as the main AI model, though the proposed pipeline can be implemented with multiple AI models. The paper ends by showing some of the generated results, finally adding some considerations to the relationship between human and artificial creativity inside the architectural discipline. The work presented in the paper suggests that the use of computational design tools and methods combined with the tectonics of the latent space opens new opportunities for topological and typological explorations. In a time where traditional architectural typologies are moving towards stagnation due to their inability to satisfy new human needs and ways of living, exploring AI-based working pipelines related to architectural design allows the definition of new design solutions for the generation of new architectural spaces. In doing so, the serendipitous aspect of AI biases is used as an auxiliary force to inform design decisions, promoting the discovery of a new inbuilt dynamism between human and artificial creativity. In a time where AI is everywhere, understanding the measure of such dynamism represents a key aspect for the future of the architectural discipline.