AI Conceptual Design

AI in conceptual design assists with the earliest, most impactful project decisions — site utilization, building massing, program organization, and preliminary code compliance. These decisions set the framework that all subsequent design work builds upon, making their quality critically important.

The massing study is where AI has the most impact. Given a site boundary, zoning constraints, and a building program, AI generates multiple massing options that maximize the usable floor area while satisfying setbacks, height limits, FAR restrictions, and solar access requirements. The architect evaluates these options for design quality and client alignment rather than spending days manually testing whether the program fits on the site.

Preliminary code analysis at the concept stage prevents costly surprises. AI evaluates the proposed massing against the building code to determine construction type requirements, fire protection implications, egress feasibility, and allowable building area. Discovering that a proposed 6-story wood frame building exceeds the allowable height for Type V-A construction is much better to learn during the first client meeting than after months of design development.