As part of the events marking Architect's Week, a three-day workshop titled "Architecture and Artificial Intelligence" was held from April 22 to April 24, 2025, at Iran Hall, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of Tehran. The workshop brought together academics, researchers, and students interested in interdisciplinary approaches combining architecture and emerging technologies, with the goal of both education and skill development in AI-assisted design.

The program ran daily from 10 AM to 6 PM and featured a series of lectures and expert panels. On the first day, Dr. S. Yahya Islami delivered an in-person lecture, while Dr. S. Mohammad Ali Islami joined virtually via Google Meet to discuss the theoretical foundations, historical development, and future prospects of artificial intelligence in architecture. This was followed by a presentation from Dr. Morteza Rahbar, who explored AI’s role across various domains such as energy, structural engineering, and design, with practical examples. Dr. Ali Goharian then introduced the workshop structure, outlining the design competition and schedule. In the afternoon session, Dr. Seyedeh Sedigheh Mirgozar Langaroudi presented on AI platforms for architectural research, followed by Farshad Shariatpour, who demonstrated practical applications of AI tools in the design process, such as site analysis, diagramming, and rendering.

On the second day, participants worked in design teams under the supervision of a moderator and mentors. The day began with a brief presentation by the workshop moderator, Shadan Masoud, who shared insights from previous academic projects involving AI integration in architectural design. Participants then engaged in site analysis and case studies, utilizing platforms like ChatGPT, Copilot, and DeepSeek to define the spatial and functional requirements of an innovation center with a focus on cutting-edge technologies. In the afternoon session, teams began developing conceptual designs—some by hand and others using digital modeling in Rhino. They tested out volumetric concepts on the given site and explored visual inspiration from AI-generated imagery. Later, they produced renders from multiple angles, and in several cases, creatively combined segments from different renders using Photoshop, iterating on design ideas and refining their models in Rhino accordingly.

The third day was dedicated to completing diagrams, finalizing presentation sheets, and preparing for the jury review. Participants created various visual materials through hand-drawing, photomontage, and digital modeling techniques. Final presentation boards were printed in 50x70 cm format and reviewed by a panel of academic judges. The evaluation focused on the originality of design ideas, creative application of AI tools, clarity of presentation, and overall design quality. Selected projects were awarded for their innovation and execution.

The event hosted several esteemed faculty members as speakers and jury members, including Dr. S. Yahya Islami, Dr. S. Mohammad Ali Islami, Dr. Morteza Rahbar, Dr. Ali Goharian, Dr. Hamed Mazaherian, Dr. Katayoun Taghizadeh, and Dr. Seyedeh Sedigheh Mirgozar Langaroudi. The practical and competition segments of the workshop were led by instructor Farshad Shariatpour and moderated by Shadan Masoud, with mentoring support provided by Mahsa Zahedi, Fatemeh Zahra Zarifzad, Fatemeh Malmir, and Azin Pourseyedi.

The workshop successfully introduced students to emerging AI platforms in design, research, and architectural presentation. It also served as a platform for collaborative teamwork and professional competition. The Faculty of Architecture expresses its sincere gratitude to all lecturers, jurors, mentors, and participants, and looks forward to organizing similar future events exploring the intersection of technology and design.

To download the workshop booklet, click here.