Applying AI in Architecture | Formal CPD Series

Applying AI in Architecture
5 Sessions | 5 Formal CPD Points |ON DEMAND

About the Series

This five-part lecture series provides a structured, practice-oriented understanding of how artificial intelligence is reshaping architecture, yet not as a toolset, but as an operational paradigm. It moves from foundational framing (AI’s current limitations and task-specific deployment) to its implications across three interlinked domains: design practice, professional identity, and business models. Practitioners gain clarity on where AI meaningfully augments architectural work (e.g. micro-task automation, decision support) versus where human judgment remains critical, alongside insight into emerging frameworks such as Agentic AI.

The series then translates this into organisational strategy, positioning data as a core asset and outlining governance, capability, and workflow transformations required for scalable adoption. Finally, it addresses workforce implications, emphasising capability-based models, continuous upskilling, and human–AI collaboration. Collectively, the lectures equip practitioners with both conceptual grounding and actionable pathways to integrate AI into practice with intent, rigour, and strategic alignment.

The Five Sessions

Session 1 |ON DEMAND
Understanding Fundamentals and Applying AI

This CPD lecture introduces the fundamentals of artificial intelligence in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector, with a focus on architectural practice. In this first talk of the series, we unpack AI's role in addressing the climate crisis and why architects should embrace digital thinking to leverage AI. The lecture covers core AI concepts relevant to architects, highlights ethical, legal, and social risks, and examines biases in architectural data. It concludes by presenting three lenses for engaging with AI: Architecture (the built environment), the Architect (the individual), and the Architectural Business (the organisation delivering architecture as a service). These three perspectives will guide the series and help participants structure their thinking toward applying AI in practice and will form the foundation of this series.

AI as a climate tool: AI has growing relevance in addressing the climate crisis, and architects have a role to play in applying it responsibly within the built environment.
Need for digital thinking: Architects are encouraged to embrace digital and computational thinking to effectively leverage AI in practice.
Foundational AI literacy: The lecture focuses on core AI concepts tailored specifically to architectural practice, rather than generic tech theory.

Session 2 |ON DEMAND
Risk, Opportunity and Challenges for Architecture

In the first talk, we established that Architecture, architects, and architectural businesses are three distinct yet deeply interconnected entities — and that through human 'general intelligence,' we naturally operate across all three. Artificial Intelligence, by contrast, is not (yet, or perhaps never) a General Artificial Intelligence (GAI) capable of any intellectual task a human can perform. It remains a 'weak' AI designed for specific tasks within a limited scope. What does this mean when applying AI across these three entities? With a stronger focus on Architecture, we explore why AI may not be the best tool for 'designing' architecture and why we should instead focus on the opportunities, risks, and challenges AI presents for architects and architectural businesses, helping practitioners develop their thinking in the age of AI toward architecture augmented through the use of AI in the way we work.

AI is not a substitute for architectural intelligence: Unlike human general intelligence, today’s AI is “weak” and task-specific, making it unsuitable for truly designing architecture in a holistic, contextual sense.
Focus shifts from design to augmentation: The real value of AI lies in augmenting how architects work—supporting analysis, workflows, and decision-making rather than replacing creative or ethical judgment.
Implications vary across architecture, architects, and business: Applying AI requires different considerations for the built outcome, the individual practitioner, and the architectural business, with opportunities and risks concentrated at the latter two levels.

Session 3 |ON DEMAND
The Architect and AI

The rapid rise of Generative AI is reshaping the way we work, challenging traditional workflows and redefining the skills architects need to thrive. Yet an architect’s day to day work will further be interrupted by Agentic AI. This CPD explores how both AI types are transforming the architecture profession, from design ideation and documentation to education and early-career pathways. We want to ask: How do we mentor the next generation when foundational tasks are increasingly automated? And how do firms build cultures that embrace innovation without losing the critical thinking that defines great design? The presentation will explore key implications for architects in the context of their practice, education, and workforce development, and outline practical strategies for architects to adapt confidently and creatively.

Two AI waves are reshaping practice: Generative AI is already transforming design, documentation, and learning, while Agentic AI will further disrupt day-to-day architectural workflows through autonomous task execution.
Mentorship and skills are under pressure: As foundational tasks become automated, architects must rethink how they train, mentor, and support early-career professionals without eroding core critical-thinking and design judgment skills.
Adaptation requires cultural change: Successful firms will be those that build cultures embracing AI-driven innovation while deliberately protecting and strengthening the human qualities that define good architecture.

Session 4 |ON DEMAND
AI for the Architectural Practice

In the fourth talk, we examine how architectural practices face mounting pressure from rising complexity, shrinking margins, regulatory demands, skills shortages, and climate and productivity challenges. While many firms treat AI as a drafting aid, the real disruption lies in how it reshapes business models, workflows, and decision-making. We frame AI as organisational infrastructure rather than a standalone tool as meaningful adoption requires alignment with business objectives, governance, and workforce capability, alongside consideration of ethics, bias, and data readiness. What if understanding AI not as a replacement for expertise, but as a redesign of the architectural business operating model? How should practices balance the adoption of AI to avoid the widening productivity gap and without losing the expertise that defines architecture as a discipline? The presentation will give attendees practical guidance on identifying high-value AI opportunities, establishing governance and data strategies, and building capability.

AI is a business transformation, not a drafting tool: The real impact of AI lies in reshaping architectural business models, workflows, and decision-making—treating AI as organisational infrastructure rather than a standalone productivity aid.
Meaningful adoption requires alignment and governance: Successful use of AI depends on aligning it with business objectives, supported by clear governance, ethical oversight, bias awareness, data readiness, and workforce capability.
Balance productivity gains with disciplinary expertise: Practices must adopt AI strategically to close the productivity gap while preserving the professional expertise, judgment, and values that define architecture as a discipline.

Session 5 |ON DEMAND
Future of Architectural Work With AI

The final talk will focus on work in the AEC sector in context of Agentic AI. Architectural work is undergoing a structural shift, yet many organisations continue to operate within outdated models of linear careers, static roles, and siloed workflows. AI is reshaping rather than eliminating jobs by automating routine tasks and amplifying human judgment, while driving significant productivity gains and redefining skills across industries. However, this transition is uneven, with gaps in capability, training, and organisational readiness limiting impact. So how can architecture firms shift from role-based to capability-based organisations? And what does it take to embed continuous upskilling, cross-generational knowledge exchange, and human-machine integrated workflows? The presentation concludes with firms that adapt their operating models, not just their tools, will be best positioned to capture value in an AI-augmented future.

Agentic AI drives structural change in work: AI is reshaping architectural work by automating routine tasks and amplifying human judgment, forcing a shift away from linear careers, static roles, and siloed workflows.
From roles to capabilities: To realise value, firms must transition from role-based organisation models to capability-based ones, supported by continuous upskilling, cross-generational knowledge exchange, and integrated human–machine workflows.
Operating models matter more than tools: Firms that adapt their operating models—not just adopt new AI tools—will be best positioned to capture long-term productivity gains and value in an AI-augmented future.

Session 6 | TBA
AI Implementation Workshop

The five-session series clarified where and how AI can meaningfully augment architectural work. The program provided practitioners with a strong conceptual foundation alongside practical pathways for integrating AI into practice with intent, rigour, and strategic alignment. Through the ideas explored and discussed, participants are now well positioned to understand and apply AI in their roles as architects.

To build on this foundation, we will be offering an additional three-hour AI Implementation Workshop, designed to translate the series into practical action. In this hands-on session, participants will apply what they've learned, with a focus on what AI means at the level of the individual architect and how we can prepare for a future of working more closely with Agentic AI as an autonomous, intelligent partner in practice. The workshop will feature bonus material not covered in the lecture series.

This workshop is offered complimentary (free) to our valued members.
For non-members, the registration fee will be $150, with registration opening closer to the workshop date.

Time: To be announced
Date: To be announced

The workshop will be scheduled within 2-3 months following the conclusion of the series

Important note: This implementation workshop is a bonus learning opportunity and is not a formal CPD activity. Attendance will not attract CPD points.

We look forward to continuing the conversation and supporting architects in confidently transitioning from understanding AI to implementing it in practice.

Your Facilitator

Prof Dr. M. Hank Haeusler from the University of New South Wales, Sydney is the ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing Director, a A$9 million federal government funded research centre transforming the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector; Lead CI of the A$6 million CRC-P for 3D printing houses in remote environments using local materials, and Deputy Director UNSW AI Institute.

He is also Head of Research, Foresight and Innovation Giraffe Technology, Sydney-based platform for the AEC sector, and Vice President of the Media Architecture Institute. He was the founding director of the Bachelor of Computational Design (CoDe) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and former Professor at the Visual Art Innovation Institute at Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.

Haeusler is known as a researcher, educator, entrepreneur and designer in computational design, ML / AI and robotic technologies. He authored of 150+ academic publications and raised over A$16M research cash funding in competitive research grants. He has established Arch_Manu, an architectural computing and computational design research, education and solutions to AEC problems that are tested and applied. He has lectured in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia in universities.

NSCA 2021 Performance Criteria

Session 1 – Understanding Fundamentals and Applying AI

PC15: Comply with legal and ethical obligations relating to legislated requirements in relation to copyright, moral rights, authorship of cultural knowledge and intellectual property requirements across architectural services.

PC18: Be able to apply creative imagination, design precedents, research, emergent knowledge and critical evaluation in formulating and refining concept design options, including the exploration of three-dimensional form and spatial quality.
PC28: Be able to draw on knowledge from building sciences and technology, environmental sciences and behavioural and social sciences as part of preliminary design research and when developing the conceptual design to optimise the performance of the project.

Session 2 – Risk, Opportunity and Challenges for Architecture

PC9: Be able to apply contemporary and emerging building procurement methods. This involves identifying the most appropriate form of delivery for a project, including risks, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and integrating appropriate construction contracts and consultancy contracts and/or agreements.
PC19: Be able to identify, analyse and evaluate client project requirements and objectives using qualitative and quantitative methods and, where required by the terms of engagement, to assist cost estimators in determining project feasibility/viability.
PC24: Be able to prepare and analyse project development options in response to a project brief – its objectives, budget, user intent and built purpose, risk and timeframes, including environmental sustainability considerations.
PC28: Be able to draw on knowledge from building sciences and technology, environmental sciences and behavioural and social sciences as part of preliminary design research and when developing the conceptual design to optimise the performance of the project.

Session 3 – The Architect and AI

PC1: Comply with the regulatory requirements and obligations pertaining to practice as an architect, including legislation, professional codes of conduct, obligations for continuing professional development and professional indemnity insurance.
PC18: Be able to apply creative imagination, design precedents, research, emergent knowledge and critical evaluation in formulating and refining concept design options, including the exploration of three-dimensional form and spatial quality.
PC28: Be able to draw on knowledge from building sciences and technology, environmental sciences and behavioural and social sciences as part of preliminary design research and when developing the conceptual design to optimise the performance of the project.

Session 4 – AI for Architectural Practice

PC4: Be able to apply principles of project and staff planning and resource costs to establish realistic and achievable timeframes.
PC11: Be able to assess, recommend and/or select an appropriate procurement process, with consideration for its impact on all phases of a project – including design, documentation and project delivery – and provide advice to the client in terms of the level of scope of service for consultants.
PC28: Be able to draw on knowledge from building sciences and technology, environmental sciences and behavioural and social sciences as part of preliminary design research and when developing the conceptual design to optimise the performance of the project.

Session 5 – Future of Architectural Work With AI

PC2: Implement practice resources and apply ethical employment practice methods and quality assurance systems to facilitate efficient, consistent and timely delivery of architectural services.
PC28: Be able to draw on knowledge from building sciences and technology, environmental sciences and behavioural and social sciences as part of preliminary design research and when developing the conceptual design to optimise the performance of the project.
PC49: Be able to implement project team structures necessary to deliver a full suite of professional services or partial services appropriate to the selected procurement process.

Learning Outcomes

Session 1 – Understanding Fundamentals and Applying AI