Conference Recap
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (糖心vlog) held its 2025 Intersections Research Conference: AI Design Practices in Boston, MA, on September 25-27, 2025. Hosted by the , School of Architecture and Design, the conference brought together faculty, practitioners, and students to explore new and existing practices and paradigms using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.听
The conference framed AI as a transformative force in technology and design. Through stimulating events and thought-provoking sessions, AI Design Practices was centered on timely, academic, and industry-relevant topics on the extensive capabilities of AI, ranging from computational creativity to emergent tools for addressing complex environmental and resiliency challenges.
鈥溙切膙log is proud to advance discussions on the role of AI technology in architecture, education, research, and practice,鈥� said 糖心vlog President Jos茅 L.S. G谩mez. 鈥淎s AI becomes more prevalent, it is important to not only investigate ways we can utilize AI tools to enhance design practices and optimization, but also address their social and ecological impacts.鈥�
鈥淭he 2025 Intersections allowed faculty, practitioners, researchers, and students to come together and share their expertise and curiosity on the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence,鈥� G谩mez continued. 鈥淏y the end of the conference, attendees were able to walk away with new insights and ideas on AI鈥檚 capacities to transform the education and design professions.鈥�
The AI Design Practices conference was organized with the support of co-chairs Tatjana Crossley and Antonio Furgiuele, of the Wentworth School of Architecture & Design.
Day One
AI Design Practices began with an array of pre-conference tours and events ahead of the opening plenary. Attendees had the opportunity to join advanced technology workshops hosted by and . During the xFigura workshop, participants explored the AI-powered platform and gained firsthand insight into its capabilities for collaborative ideation and visualization for 2D and 3D design. Later that afternoon, the Autodesk Forma Architecture Training Workshop offered attendees a deep dive into the cutting-edge industry cloud powered by AI. Other pre-conference events included walking tours where participants explored the history and culture of local institutions Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The conference officially commenced with a keynote address presented by Antoine Picon, the G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at Harvard GSD. Trained as an engineer, architect, and historian, Picon also serves as Chair of the university鈥檚 PhD in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. His work focuses on the relationships between architectural and urban space, technology, and society, from the eighteenth century to the present. .
Later that evening, guests celebrated the start of the conference at the opening reception, which was held at 听
Antoine Picon delivering the opening keynote.
Day Two
Conference participants attending the AI Computational Creativity & Pedagogy听Roundtable Discussion.
The second day of the AI Design Practices conference began with AI Computational Creativity & Pedagogy, a roundtable discussion moderated by Wentworth鈥檚 Ryan Thomas. The roundtable featured a panel of industry leaders, including Neil Leach (Florida International University), Sandra Manninger (New York Institute of Technology), and Andrew Witt (Harvard University). Throughout the discussion, the speakers highlighted key figures and critical topics in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning design practices.
Later that afternoon, faculty, practitioners, and students attended concurrent research sessions that served as venues for new partnerships, collaborations, and critical observations. The sessions addressed vital topics at the intersection of technology and design, including the integration of AI into architectural pedagogy, the environmental ethics of AI, and AI鈥檚 role in advancing accessibility.
Following an afternoon of enthralling sessions, the day concluded with a book launch event for Neil Leach鈥檚 . Leach is an architect and theorist. He teaches at Florida International University, the European Graduate School, and Tongji University. His book, recently updated to include the latest developments, introduces AI for designers and explores the profound effects of technologies ranging from ChatGPT and smart assistants to groundbreaking diffusion models for video and 3D modelling.听
Day Three
Saturday, September 27, marked the third and final day of the AI Design Practices conference. The day started off with a roundtable discussion that explored the methodology of AI Practices. Moderated by George Guida of Harvard University, AI Practices & Methods featured insights from leading scholars and designers, Cas Esbach (Savannah College of Art and Design), Kristen Forward (Design Technology Futures), and Martha Tsigkari (Foster + Partners).
Day Three鈥檚 concurrent sessions tackled systems and tools to enhance workflows across project phases, the use of AI in providing prompt design feedback, AI-driven ideation in studios, and more. Throughout the conference, a juried exhibition of posters featured innovative functionalities and use cases for AI technologies. That afternoon included a poster session where authors presented their research and use cases鈥攄iscussing new tools, concepts, and best practices involved in designing user-centric AI solutions across different fields.听
Saturday’s AI Practices & Methods Roundtable.
Kent Larson presenting the closing keynote.听
The 2025 Intersections Research Conference: AI Design Practices closing keynote was presented by Kent Larson. As Director of the City Science Center at the MIT Media Lab, Larson鈥檚 research focuses on developing urban interventions that enable more entrepreneurial, livable, high-performance districts in cities. His projects include advanced simulation and augmented reality for urban design, transformable micro-housing for millennials, mobility-on-demand systems that create alternatives to private automobiles, and Urban Living Lab deployments in Hamburg, Andorra, Guadalajara, Taipei, and Boston.听
The conference concluded with a closing reception where guests connected and exchanged their key takeaways on AI鈥檚 role in the future of architecture, design, and education.
Interested in continuing the conversations that were started during the 2025 Intersections Research Conference: AI Design Practices? Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to continue the discourse.听
CONFERENCE PARTNERS
Questions
Michelle Sturges
Conferences Manager
202-785-2324
msturges@acsa-arch.org
Eric W. Ellis
Senior Director of Operations and Programs
202-785-2324
eellis@acsa-arch.org