In today’s world, technology is making major strides, especially with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the growth of artificial intelligence. This is changing the way we do things and how we work. These changes are affecting many areas, including interior design.

This raises questions about how artificial intelligence impacts the design process and if it could take over the work burden of the traditional way of interior designing. Interior design is a demanding field that calls for long hours of time spent finding resources, creating new designs, and more. It also involves many complex steps that require various technical and creative skills to carry out, which can be tiring to do manually. However, with the progress in technology and the rise of AI, it’s now possible to make the design process easier and more efficient.

Generative AI uses machine learning and smart data analysis methods to make designing smoother and provide quick solutions to the challenges designers face. With AI, designers can study data, create design models, and gain insights faster and more accurately. This saves time and effort in understanding what customers want, letting designers focus on the creative and technical parts of designing. AI can boost and improve the design process, but it’s crucial to use it ethically to avoid any negative impact on human creativity and design ethics.

Architectural design and visualization 

In construction, designing buildings involves planning and creating structures while thinking about how they look and function. Important parts of this design process include deciding on the shape of the building, choosing colours and materials for its appearance, and creating layouts that include architectural elements. Designing and visualising buildings is a complex job that requires architects to use their expertise, past experiences, and creativity.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be helpful in this process. By analysing patterns from previous designs, AI can generate new and innovative designs. Deep learning algorithms, a type of AI, have been widely used in designing and visualising buildings. They can be applied to create both 2D and 3D designs, classify different architectural styles and types of buildings, and recognise architectural drawings and indoor spaces.

Material design and optimization

Selecting the right construction materials is crucial after finalising architectural plans. Using artificial intelligence (AI), space planners can develop models to predict material properties, reducing costs and testing time. AI applications focus on concrete, steel, and timber, predicting various properties and behaviours.

Additionally, AI is gaining traction in predicting the properties of materials like fibre reinforced polymer (FRP), recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), and permeable pavements.

Advanced computer models like GANs and VAEs are really good at creating new and unique building designs in both 2D and 3D. GANs have changed the way we automatically create architectural features like building shapes, floor plans, interior designs, and building exteriors.

Structural analysis and design

AI programmes can help with planning and designing structures after choosing the building materials. Usually, structural design is done using basic models, following codes of practice, or by using computer simulations like finite element analysis (FEA).

When it comes to AI programmes, the main challenge is that they are like a black box, meaning it’s not easy to understand how they work. This can be a problem in real-world structural engineering design. However, there are some design challenges that are unclear and unpredictable, and in these cases, AI can be beneficial because its ability to handle uncertainties outweighs the disadvantage of being a black box.

By using artificial intelligence (AI), space planners can improve specific parts of structural engineering, such as earthquake-resistant design, analysing the risk of structures collapsing, predicting how much load a structure can handle, and monitoring the health of structures and smart building operations.

Breaking down the Smart Design Process

Personalisation plays a pivotal role in the field of interior design, serving as a way of expressing the unique individuality and personality of clients within a given space. Whether engaged in the design of residential structures or commercial environments such as offices and healthcare facilities, it is imperative that these spaces embody distinctive tastes, preferences, brand identities, and functional requirements.

Traditionally, achieving a personalised aesthetic necessitated extensive collaboration with a designer, involving the perusal of swatches and experimentation with various layouts. While this traditional approach holds merit, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into interior design processes has significantly elevated precision and customisation.

The advent of interior design AI entails the deployment of advanced algorithms capable of analysing multifaceted factors such as room dimensions and lighting conditions. This analytical prowess empowers the AI to propose design solutions that seamlessly blend aesthetic appeal with functional efficacy. Designers, leveraging AI tools, can input their own and their clients’ preferences and design concepts, receiving tailored recommendations for furniture, colour schemes, and other integral design components.

Furthermore, interior design AI extends its utility to the analysis of customer data, proficiently forecasting trends in styles and products. This prognostication is rooted in the meticulous examination of historical consumer preferences and purchase behaviours. AI tools facilitate the optimisation of spatial layouts. By scrutinising data related to dimensions, window and door placements, and occupant requirements, these tools enable designers to craft layouts that are not only efficient but also aligned with user preferences.

Beyond spatial considerations, AI-powered systems contribute to the creation of environmentally conscious designs. By optimising lighting, heating, and cooling systems, these systems not only enhance sustainability but also enhance the overall functionality of the designed spaces.