Architecture and Artificial Intelligence Meet in ‘Exhibition’

Students from Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Department of Architecture, explored the interaction between human intelligence and artificial intelligence in an exhibition titled ‘DAILOGUE’. The young designers demonstrated how gaps in AI-generated information can be transformed into a meaningful whole through human intervention, earning high praise from visitors. Created as part of the ‘Architectural Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Architecture’ course taught by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lale Başarır, the exhibition will be open for visitors on campus until February 16. Featuring advanced research by Res. Asst. and PhD student Beyza Cennet Batır (Visual Communication Design) and graduate student Helin Eryılmaz (Architecture), the exhibition stands out as one of the first studies of its kind on AI in architecture in Turkey.

“THE USE OF AI IS RAPIDLY INCREASING”

IUE Department of Architecture Faculty Member, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lale Başarır stated that she has been working on AI applications in architecture for a long time. Noting that the exhibition clearly highlights the difference between a raw AI result and the final output after human intervention, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başarır stated that the students presented this concept very successfully. Highlighting that the use of AI in architecture is steadily rising, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başarır said, “As AI tools evolve, architecture firms are adopting and implementing them. There are specific steps in the architectural workflow, and AI accelerates these steps significantly. This acceleration allows architecture firms to work more efficiently. We are still in a transition phase, but soon we will start asking: ‘Will we be performing the same tasks we did 5 years ago, or will the very nature of our work change?’ We explore these questions in our course.”

“THE HUMAN TOUCH IS ESSENTIAL”

Emphasizing that despite making life easier, AI remains deficient in several areas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başarır said, “The first point where I believe AI falls short is the sense of curiosity that architects possess. Humans are curious, but AI does not yet experience curiosity. It doesn't ask, ‘We made this square, but what if we made it round?’ Furthermore, AI cannot yet practice empathy. Empathy requires knowing humans well and understanding their lifestyles. AI also lacks the ability to create meaning. Meaning is vital to humans and deeply embedded in architecture. We see that human skill is far superior when it comes to the creation of meaning.”

“WE ALSO HELD DEBATES IN CLASS”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başarır mentioned that they also conducted a debate as part of the ‘Architectural Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Architecture’ course saying, “We asked students to defend a viewpoint, even if it wasn't their own. They thoroughly enjoyed it. Our goal was to get students to think about how a superior intelligence might change the systems established by human intelligence and to reflect on this from the perspective of their own profession. This exercise contributed greatly to our students' development and the shaping of this exhibition.”