How AI Is Speeding up Design Work at One of the World’s Biggest Firms

https://www.businessinsider.com/gensler-architecture-ai-design-tools-concepts-2026-6

Publish Date: 2026-06-22 09:43:00

Source Domain: www.businessinsider.com

Architectural Innovation with AI: Architecture firm Gensler has been pioneering the use of AI as a creative tool to augment their design process, starting with an internal phase called the “AI sandbox.”
Enhancing Design Concepts: Gensler employs AI to simulate natural light, sound travel, and space usage patterns, enhancing preliminary design concepts before construction begins.
Cinematic Storytelling: AI has enabled Gensler to convert design ideas into engaging cinematic narratives, boosting the communication of their visions to stakeholders.
Future Projects and Collaborations: AI’s utility extends to imagining future developments like Baghdad Sustainable Forests, and fostering collaborations like that with UNC Charlotte’s computer science department for generating 3D models.
Industry Adoption Concerns: Despite the promising uses, there are concerns among some architects regarding AI’s limitations, inaccuracies, and the impact on authorship, though enthusiasm for experimental uses remains high.
AI as a Support Tool: For firms like Gensler, AI is seen more as a support tool to expand creative possibilities rather than a replacement for human expertise.
Collaborative Growth: Gokmen highlights AI’s potential for collaborative research toward developing specialized models like those for generating 3D geometric shapes in architecture.
Slow Adoption Rate: Vigneri-Beane and Gokmen note that AI adoption in the architectural industry is slow but anticipate significant growth opportunities with ongoing innovations and collaborations.