Integrating Text-to-Image AI in Architectural Design Education: Analytical Perspectives from a Studio Experience

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 247 - 258, 20.12.2024

Sinem Çınar Kalenderoğlu , Melek Demiröz

https://doi.org/10.46474/jds.1526771

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into architectural design education, with a particular focus on the utilization of text-to-image AI tools in a third-year design studio project at Atılım University. The objective of the project was to examine the potential of AI-supported visual representation tools in conceptualizing future public spaces in Ankara. The study employs a combination of practical experimentation and theoretical analysis to examine the impact of text-to-image AI tools on design thinking and processes, as reflected in student projects generated through these tools.

The research underscores the potential of integrating AI into architectural design education to foster creativity and critical thinking, emphasizing the underlying design principles and methods beyond mere visual outputs. The principal findings demonstrate that AI tools have the capacity to considerably extend the scope of design possibilities, assisting students in transcending the conventional boundaries of design. However, the research underscores the necessity of striking a balance between visual outputs and conceptual depth, ensuring that AI serves as an aid rather than a replacement in the comprehensive design process.

A robust theoretical framework is vital for guiding AI integration and fostering critical understanding and thinking among students. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on the role of AI in reshaping architectural practice and education, proposing a balanced approach that values both technological proficiency and conceptual depth.

Keywords

Architectural education, Artificial intelligence, Design process, Design studio

References

• As, I., Pal, S., & Basu, P. (2018). Artificial Intelligence in Architecture: Generating Conceptual Design via Deep Learning. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 16(4), 306–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478077118800982
• As, I. & Prithwish, B. (2021). The Routledge Companion to Artificial Intelligence in Architecture. London: Routledge.
• Başarır, L. (2022). Modeling AI in Architectural Education. Gazi University Journal of Science, 35(4), 1260–1278.
• Carpo, M. (2023). Beyond Digital: Design and Automation at the End of Modernity. London: The MIT Press.
• Ceylan, S. (2021). Artificial Intelligence in Architecture: An Educational Perspective. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2021), 1, 100-107.
• Chaillou, S. (2022). Artificial Intelligence and Architecture from Research to Practice. Basel: Birkhäuser.
• Cudzik, J., Nyka, L., & Szczepański, J. (2024). Artificial Intelligence in Architectural Education - Green Campus Development Research. Global Journal of Engineering Education, 26(1), 20–25.
• del Campo, M., & Manninger, S. (2022). Architecture Design in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. The Routledge Companion to Ecological Design Thinking, 6(2), 75–91.
• Dhariwal, P., & Nichol, A. (2021, June 1). Diffusion Models Beat Gans on Image Synthesis. arXiv.org. https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.05233
• Kavakoglu Akcay, A., Almac, B., Eser, B., & Alacam, S. (2022). AI-Driven Creativity in Early Design Education – A Pedagogical Approach in the Age of Industry 5.0. In Proceedings of the 40th Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2022), 133–142.
• Kudless, A. (2024). Stop making sense: Complexity and contradiction in AI and architecture. Architectural Design, 94(3), 86–93. https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.3059
• Leach, N. (2022). In the mirror of AI: What is creativity? Architectural Intelligence, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44223-022-00012-x
• Russell, S. J., & Norvig, P. (2020). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. California: Pearson Education.
• Sadek, M., & Mohamed, N. A. G. (2023). Artificial Intelligence as a Pedagogical Tool for Architectural Education: What Does the Empirical Evidence Tell Us? MSA Engineering Journal, 2(2), 133–148.
• Tepavčević, B. (2017). Design Thinking Models for Architectural Education. The Journal of Public Space, 2(3), 67. https://doi.org/10.5204/jps.v2i3.115
• Tong, H., Türel, A., Şenkal, H., Yagci Ergun, S. F., Güzelci, O. Z., & Alaçam, S. (2023a). Can AI Function as a New Mode of Sketching? International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 18(18), 234–248.
• Yazıcıoğlu, Z., Bıyuk Öksüz, K., & Taşdelen, S. (n.d.). Mimari Tasarım Stüdyosunda Simbiyotik Bir Araştırma: Maketten Metne, Metinden Dall-E2’ye üretken Dönüşüm, Bir Metafor Olarak “yeraltı.” Yapı Dergisi. https://yapidergisi.com/mimari-tasarim-studyosunda-simbiyotik-bir-arastirma-maketten-metne-metinden-dall-e2ye-uretken-donusum-bir-metafor-olarak-yeralti/
• Yıldırım, E. (2022). Text to Image Artificial Intelligence in a Basic Design Studio: Spatialization From Novel. 4th ISARC International Science And Art Research.