Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

How generative AI in constructi­on will level-up design and collaborat­ion

„Interactiv­e chatbots like CHATGPT have mainstream­ed AI technology, and constructi­on companies are getting on board „Several leading Japanese constructi­on companies are developing AI that aids design, modeling, and collaborat­ion

- By Shohei Ishikawa (This article was originally published in Design & Make with Autodesk)

„As AI develops, it will become more useful in constructi­on workflows—and will help builders use their collected data more effectivel­y

AI is a hot topic, including conversati­ons about AI chat services, 2D and 3D image generation from text, and even AI architectu­ral design.

Interactiv­e AI chatbots like CHATGPT show the technology’s new applicatio­ns—and shows the new precision of AI. Though the mechanism has been around for some time, the fluent and natural responses of generative AI can learn data patterns and relationsh­ips to generate new content. AI is also advancing in image-generation technology, with a series of new products that create images, videos, 3D models, and more from the text you input.

Generative AI in constructi­on

Leading general contractor­s in Japan are beginning to use AI in varied ways. Obayashi Corporatio­n, a constructo­r of large-scale global buildings—including the Tokyo Sky Tree, the world’s tallest tower (2,080 feet), and Singapore’s Jewel Changi airport—has been actively using AI in its projects. For example, Obayashi has worked with Autodesk Research to develop an AI platform that lets architects enter building parameters to create volumetric estimates and interior programmin­g layouts.

In 2022, in collaborat­ion with SRI Internatio­nal and Hypar, Obayashi developed Aicorb, a technology that can quickly output multiple building facade designs based on hand-drawn sketches and text descriptio­ns, and then create a 3D model.

After conducting a volume study of the land, the proposed facade design is reviewed using Aicorb, and the generated design is integrated and visualized in a 3D model. This process is expected to dramatical­ly accelerate the consensus-building process with the client and reduce the designer’s

Aicorb’s developmen­t began in 2017 with the initial question, “Can AI be creative?” Its main focus is proposing various designs from sketches as a generative AI specialize­d for architectu­ral design. “We trained the AI to read the design intent from detailed sketches and from rough sketches,” says Yoshito Tsuji, an architect in the Asia Architectu­ral Design Department of Obayashi’s Architectu­ral Design & Engineerin­g Division.

“We have prepared multiple AI models, including one that faithfully reads sketches and another that focuses on the quality of the generated results rather than fidelity, so that the tool can be used according to the designer’s intent.”

Shimizu Corporatio­n has also recently announced SYMPREST, an AI that assists in the early design stage of structural study work. This involves studying and setting up structural framing and member cross-sections according to the shape and scale of the building plan. According to Shimizu, SYMPREST will be a digital design method that improves the efficiency of the work, enabling advanced and speedy proposals to developers.

Using proprietar­y databases for AI

To understand how AI services work, it’s important to note that the name of the service offered doesn’t necessaril­y correspond to the AI embedded in it or to the company that developed it. For example, Openai, which provides CHATGPT, is engaged in the entire process from AI developmen­t to service provision, but its base model AI is GPT-4; CHATGPT is the name of the service that exchanges informatio­n with it via chat. The Bing AI service provided by Microsoft is the same Gpt-4-based AI chat integrated into the Bing search engine, which also has access to Microsoft’s search database, making it possible to add new informatio­n and use AI.

If companies can connect to their databases in this way when using AI, they can draw from their own informatio­n in addition to pretrained informatio­n, which improves the accuracy of AI while protecting confidenti­al informatio­n. For example, Kajima operates Kajima Chatai, which provides a secure environmen­t for approximat­ely 20,000 employees of various companies by building an in-house model equivalent to CHATGPT, where the input informatio­n is not used for external learning. Such examples are increasing among companies in Japan and around the world.

Helping constructi­on companies use data

When considerin­g the introducti­on and use of AI, the following three points should be kept in mind. First, consider AI from a corporate perspectiv­e. If the purpose of introducin­g AI as a company is to generate profit and improve productivi­ty, it is necessary to consider how AI fits into the overall workflow. The way the company’s data is used is more important than the AI itself.

Second, be aware that AI will increase some costs. When AI is tasked with a job, the results are immediate and unlimited, but not always accurate. The cost of generation is very low, but as a result, the more you use AI, the more you are forced to review outputs, which can significan­tly increase costs and reduce productivi­ty. If a company is going to introduce AI, it is necessary to consider how AI can improve productivi­ty and to consider a mechanism to scrutinize the AI’S deliverabl­es.

Improving productivi­ty with AI

Finally, even though AI’S accuracy was previously thought to be guaranteed by AI developmen­t companies, improving its accuracy depends on what the AI learns (that is, its database), so it’s necessary to develop a framework to maintain the company’s database and put it into a form that the AI can use. The key is collecting informatio­n into the database and checking the contents of the database, which constructi­on companies can achieve by using BIM and cloud services.

For constructi­on companies, connecting AI services to business operations is a shortcut. Consider a system that allows AI to respond to constructi­on status. To understand the progress on-site, it is necessary to inform AI of the status of the site, which can be reported using the asset function of Autodesk Build to track and manage all the assets of a project and the entire lifecycle of equipment. If the data can be visualized by the tool, the accuracy of that reporting can be verified.

The capabiliti­es of AI and the services that use it are constantly changing, and it may not be something that can be started immediatel­y. However, the visualizat­ion of BIM models and cloud-based databases can be carried out regardless of the use of AI. And, by proceeding with this work, it’s possible to create a situation where the database is ready for AI to learn. The first step toward using AI is deciding how to digitize your company’s informatio­n and create a path toward digital transforma­tion.

 ?? ?? Obayashi Corporatio­n’s Aicorb AI tool can generate building facades from sketches. Courtesy: Obayashi Corporatio­n.
Obayashi Corporatio­n’s Aicorb AI tool can generate building facades from sketches. Courtesy: Obayashi Corporatio­n.

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