The Best AI Tools for Architects
These are the essential AI tools that you need to learn if you want to step up your game as an architect and a designer.
The first four will assist with your design. Then you will learn how to use AI to help you with the 3D modeling and finally, how to render realistic images using AI.
The 10 Best AI Tools for Architects
Maket AI
Creating floor plans can take a lot of time, but because Maket AI can generate multiple plan iterations within minutes, this software removes the hassle and gives you more time to focus on the design of the space, not on the layout.
With Maket AI, you can generate residential floor plans and 3D renderings with zoning code and regulatory guidance. But all you have to do is you can drag in your floor plans, or you can use AI to generate multiple floor plan iterations.
Select between the amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, garages that you want, as well as. Utility spaces and closets. These pop ups may be a little bit of a problem. It generates a couple iterations really quickly.
And from there you're able to edit and also render these floor plans. In addition, you can choose to create renderings using a existing 3D or 2D model.
You can select the room type, a style, type of lighting, environments, etc. And even the materials that you want in the space. This tool is good, and that's why I'll put it in the useful tier.
Laiout AI
In an industry where time is money, but also creativity takes time, laiout has emerged as the AI floor plan generator that helps streamline your tasks.
Laiout is as easy as uploading a file, generating floor plans, and then you're able to select and edit, rearrange any space that you want to be manipulated, and then add furniture and then you just export it back out as a CAD file and that whole process can be recycled through.
It's great for brokers, landlords, and architects to minimize meetings and maximize workflow. Using laiout, you can identify spaces with multiple tenants and start to generate floor plan layouts for each individual tenant space.
Within a couple seconds, it generates three options. Each option has its strengths. So one is low cost, but higher area of square footage per employee. Another one maximizes the amount of employees, and the final one maximizes the cost of the space.
So laiout accounts for more than just the square footage and the furniture. It really takes into account a lot of the factors that go into making these office laiouts.
You're able to find the area, the dimensions, and also mix up the laiouts of the spaces. In addition, you can go into the 3D mode and check out what the space looks like with all the furniture and the materials that you have selected. You can also swap between which type of room you want each space to be.
If laiout works for your industry, then you definitely need to add it into your workflow.
Lexset AI
Lexset is a very unique program, not. Like most AI programs, but it allows you to have detailed customization with your drawings and your renderings. It allows for 3D scene creation, placement and manipulation of custom data sets.
This is more of a data driven software, but if that's something you're familiar with and used to, then Lexset AI is a great tool. You do have to request to use it, so it's not available just to anyone. And for that reason I'll put it in the average tier.
ArchitectGPT
ArchitectGPT is on the pricier side. But almost makes up for it depending how cheap you are with the quality of the outputs and the ability to use ArchitectGPT for multiple uses.
I thought I'd be able to use some of the features for free, but it's not looking like it. So I'll just go through the different tools and features that it provides. You're able to do exterior, interior, landscape, buildings, visualizations, sketches, kind of your dream style for what you're looking at floor plans, virtual staging, panoramas.
And those last two were kind of the the main selling points of this program, the virtual staging and the panoramic images. I think it's a very unique feature and something that is a strong point for ArchitectGPT. But here are the payment options for reference, but I would put it in the average category.
By just using these four design tools, you have already saved yourself a lot of time, but we're just getting started. Now you will learn how to use AI to assist with your 3D models.
Architecture
You can design better buildings faster with Architecture is a generative AI powered building design platform design help design optimal residential developments in minutes rather than months.
You use AI to optimize your design development with real time BIM navigation. With tools like daylighting and energy analysis coming soon, as well as collaborative features, it gives you the ability to look at cost.
With Architecture, you're able to edit floor plans real time, make adjustments to the area and the type of rooms. It also gives you the ability to look at the model in 3D, make changes to the floor plans with real time data that is customizable with cost estimates.
You can make minor edits with the 3D version which can be downloaded and updated using CAD or BIM. And what I like most about Architecture is the comprehensive metrics and parameters that are provided for your model.
This tool can be incredibly useful if it fits the needs of of your project. I definitely put it in the useful category.
Finch3D
Finch3D optimizes your design using graphs and algorithms, helping speed up the time it takes for you to iterate ideas using generative technologies.
It has maximum flexibility and gives you the parameters to make the most customizable adjustments. It provides instant feedback and data making decisions that is backed up by numbers.
Finch3D also contains workflow with Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper. It solves multiple problems in the design industry with one tool. If you have the means, you need to get this tool added to your arsenal.
At this point you're already halfway through the article, but you've already learned to use AI to render, generate and edit floor plans as well as optimizing your 3D models. But we have four more AI tools left, so focus closely. This next one might blow your mind.
Luma AI
Every time I hear someone talking about image to 3D model or text to 3D model, I'm always a little bit hesitant. Luma AI has changed the game though.
It takes some time, but I have produced some really good results out of what I've tried. It's given me full 3D models with detail. These models are downloadable and compatible with most 3D modeling softwares.
This tool is great and I think my next step will be taking it to one of the 3D modeling softwares like Rhino and playing around with it. I put this in the great category.
Rendair
Now, if you weren't impressed with Luma AI, which would be crazy if that's true, but if so, this next tool might surprise you with how realistic renders it creates.
Rendair is an all in one architecture, interior design and landscaping software. It gives you the ability to do text to render, elevation to render, sketch to render, 3D base model to render, and then image to render.
I testing the Text to Render tool, typing in a prompt and then using the image strength and creativity strength to make some variations to the image. It provides a lot of advanced options, giving you the ability to select from aspect ratio and style referencing, and it's produced some great results.
It's a great platform that produces some very high quality and realistic renders. I consider putting it in the great category just because of the capability of render.
PromeAI
Not all AI rendering tools are created equal. PromeAI has over 10 different image generation and editing features, making it one of the only tools you need.
When it comes to creating realistic AI renderings. The Image to Sketch tool was the one that it started off with to get a base feeling for the ideas and I took sketch and then put it into the Sketch to Render, which had settings that allowed me to perfectly customize the scene.
My favorite part was adding the scene elements. I felt like this feature had the most potential from there. After adjusting some of the settings, I wanted to turn that image into a video. I also used the Replace tool to edit selected elements in the image and regenerate them.
If you're looking to incorporate AI into your workflow, this is essential tool to test out and try. Even if you don't take AI and architecture very seriously, Prome AI has many features that are still fun to use and explore with making Prome AI essential for architects and designers.
Now at this point you've learned design and rendering skills using AI that take hours for people to do, but you've condensed that into minutes using Maket AI to generate floor plans layout to generate more commercial floor plans, architectures for better building design and Prome AI for rendering and schematic design. But there's one more tip left, so focus up so you don't miss out.
D5 Render
The final tool on our list is D5 Render. This is a rendering tool, but has started to incorporate three main AI tools to better your workflow and also to set themselves apart from the rest.
Using the D5 high tool allows you to create concept scenarios with text to image AI generation.
One of my favorite is the texture mapping creator. You import a texture or image and the AI will create texture and depth maps based on those images for the normal map roughness, height maps, et cetera. And I'm messing around with these to make it more realistic.
Now, if you're tired of spending precious time meticulously crafting the sky and lighting of a rendering scene, all you have to do now is find a reference image with the lighting you want, and AI will match the sky and atmosphere from that image with your rendering scene. And this is why I think D5 is a need in your design workflow arsenal.
Conclusion:
And now you're already to test out these tools. With all the time you've saved using these AI tools, you can catch up on all the articles on my blog, but make sure to read this article on the top ai tools for architectural design first.
