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Outcome-Based Design

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Collaboration between AI and human designers can lead to better outcomes in architecture



 

With recent advances in both processors and software, artificial intelligence has reached new levels of power and accessibility. And that means that architects can now ask the question: what decisions are better made by a human, and what decisions are better made by a machine? Samuel Omans shares how this brings the field of architecture, engineering, and construction into a new industrial revolution, one where, instead of basing decisions solely on an architect’s experience and training, we can take an outcome-based approach to design. This starts by defining project goals at the outset, then testing against them every step of the way, breaking down silos between teams and collaborators in the process. In the end, it means a world where architects spend less time doing the tasks that machines can do better and more time focusing on the decisions that only people can make. And it gives us a whole new set of tools and approaches to the biggest challenges we face—from climate change to public health.

About the speaker

Samuel Omans is the industry strategy manager for architecture at Autodesk. In 2021, Omans joined the faculty at the Yale University School of Architecture. He holds a PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU.

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