Architecture in the robotic age

Futurists and fiction writers have long foreseen a robotic age of intelligent and adaptable environments built on artificial intelligence. But beyond delivery drones, 3D printed materials and mutating buildings, what can we expect? 

The robots aren’t just coming – they are already here. 

In Switzerland, robotic fabrication is reimagining modular homes. In China, low-cost schools are being constructed with the help of 24/7-hour robot workers. And in Sydney, spiderweb-weaving robots have created super-strong carbon fibre ceiling structures.

These are just three examples of how robotics and AI are revolutionising construction. And far from being anxious about the future, the industry’s architects are excited.
Kylee Schoonens, a director with Perth-based architecture firm Fratelle Group, is looking forward to the evolution ahead.

“We already have buildings being printed. Robots are driving improvements to manufacturing lines that enable new materials to be developed and used in building designs. We’re seeing less material wastage and more bespoke design solutions,” she says.

“Robots will streamline labour intensive design and construction processes, and drive businesses to adapt and evolve.” 

Emma Williamson, a director with Cox Architecture in Perth, agrees.

“New technologies will open the door to mass customisation and the opportunity to respond more sensitively to the subtlety of site differences, creating bespoke responses that better reflect their context.”

Robots will also be good for the environment, Williamson says.

“I see real potential to minimise waste through smarter construction methods and the development of more sophisticated material technology.”

A robotic reimagining

Human bricklayers, carpenters, labourers and painters may be a rarity in two decades time, as robots eliminate one in every three construction jobs, but will human designers disappear?

Angus Rose, a design director with dwp, or design worldwide partnership, expects new technologies to become central to the design process, “but I don’t think robots will ever replace humans entirely”.

“Car manufacturers have been using automated machines for decades, but there are still people working in those factories,” he points out.

“Robots can undertake more physically difficult or dangerous jobs, as well as routine and repetitive tasks, so that the human brain can drive value by concentrating on more productive pursuits,” he says.

But will robots take over the design phase as well?

Maybe not, Rose says. He points to complex designs already conceived and constructed by humans, such as Frank Gehry’s Dr Chau Chak Wing Building in Sydney, with its undulating brickwork façade. “This didn’t require robots. Neither did Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família,” he adds.

“Computers can make the process easier, and de-risk certain design elements, but I don’t think robots onsite necessarily enable more complex or interesting design solutions.”

The real opportunity will be for offsite manufacturing, Rose says. “That’s where we’ll see the biggest benefits – in factory environments where robots can deliver quality control.”

Rose is also interested in how AI can assist the design process before ground is broken.

“With building information modelling, or BIM, we now effectively build in the virtual world before anyone arrives on site, which also de-risks projects”. Rose points to dwp’s recent work on the Gold Coast Private Hospital, which was delivered in full BIM. 

“There was less than one per cent in variations and 75 per cent fewer requests for information than we’d normally see in a conventional documentation delivery platform. Imagine what AI can do for design teams in the future, and the speed with which we’ll be able to confidently deliver our designs?”

Data drives design decisions

Cassandra Keller, principal with ClarkeKeller, thinks data collection will have a great impact on design decisions than robotics,

“Leading engineering firms and multi-disciplinary teams are already hiring data scientists to collect building and city data. Where we once took a blanket approach to design, data will enable us to create buildings more tailored to real-life conditions.”

This is about far more than building sensors, Keller says. It’s a “far richer exchange”.

“We’ll get down to demographics – who uses spaces, how and when. We’ll see more evidence-based design that humanises the built environment.”

Keller points to the classic goat-tracks that people make as they defy the established walking paths set by landscape architects. “We’ll get to see how people use spaces in real time and make adjustments,” she says.

Will AI render architects obsolete? Of course not, Keller says.

“We’ll use data and AI to make informed design decisions, but we’ll still have to interrogate those decisions – and that will require a human brain.”

Rose agrees.

“It’s an exciting time to be working in the industry as a designer. More mundane or analysis heavy tasks will get fobbed off to machines, but I don’t think AI can ever fully replace a designer or people on site.

“We’ll always need the skill of humans who can read between the lines and understand what the client really wants.”

Williamson isn’t worried about architects becoming obsolete. 

“Like having a powerful car, robotic technology and AI is only as good as the driver. Great design outcomes are only ever the result of good designers and no matter how far I imagine into the future I can’t see that changing.”