This AI will design your house, over and over again
Architects are faced with lots of monotonous tasks, and this new AI tool will help eliminate alot of the grunt work.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2019) 'This AI will design your house, over and over again', 311 Institute, 18 November. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/this-ai-will-design-your-house-over-and-over-again/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Recently, I discussed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a new breed of Creative Machines was being used to help design everything from cities to NASA planetary rovers, and now architecture studio Wallgren Arkitekter and Swedish construction company BOX Bygg have created an AI design tool called Finch that can generate new building floor plans and adapt them according to the space available – and while this might sound like quirky work, as we begin to 3D print everything from military barracks through to family homes and 80 storey skyscrapers, having an AI that can help design buildings will no doubt come in very handy indeed. Furthermore, as AI and drone technology helps us develop the world’s first fully autonomous construction sites this additional development could mean one day machines control the entire construction process – from initial building concept and design, through to final construction and fit outs.
Finch, that you can see working below, will be launched in 2020 as a plug-in to visual programming tool Grasshopper within 3D computer graphics software Rhino.
The tool in action
"The idea of Finch is to create a more user-friendly tool for architects to be able to enjoy the benefits of parametric design without any knowledge of Grasshopper or coding," said Pamela Wallgren, co-founder of Wallgren Arkitekter.
The parametric design tool, which is currently under development, uses data inputted into it on the size of the building and local planning regulations to create an optimum internal plans either in two or three dimensions.
"It generates plans based on a set of rules designed by an architect to make sure the space works satisfactory," added Wallgren.
The tool can design both 2D and 3D plans
Wallgren Arkitekter and BOX Bygg are intending to improve the tool later this year, before it is officially launched, by adding more parameters so that it can generate plans that take into account the orientation of buildings and their style.
"At our office we use it to leverage our designs," said Wallgren. "By minimising tedious and repetitive tasks we free up time for design work."
Parametric design is increasing being used by architecture studios to create interesting forms that would not have been possible using traditional techniques, and this will inevitably just be the start of a huge new trend that sees machines taking over more of the design process.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Architects are faced with lots of monotonous tasks, and this new AI tool will help eliminate alot of the grunt work.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on AI and intelligence and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Wallgren Arkitekter wallgrenarkitekter.se
- BOX Bygg boxbygg.se
- Finch finch3d.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 18 November 2019. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2019). This AI will design your house, over and over again. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/this-ai-will-design-your-house-over-and-over-again/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.