Architectural Freehand Drawing versus Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Architectural drawing was always a main tool for us – Architects. Transferring thoughts to paper is something that allows us to communicate our ideas and make them more tangible. But the drawing itself has another unique feature – it is always very personal. We all have an extraordinary imagination that allows us to become special creators and designers. However, in the age of new technologies, some people fear being replaced by Artificial Intelligence. Certainly, with its technology, AI can create amazing images and be a powerful tool for architects. How does AI work? Can we say that Artificial Intelligence will win over Human Intelligence? This thesis is conducted in order to explore how the human creative process works, whether AI will actually win out over our imagination, and how, in the end, we can use AI as a tool during design. In this thesis, two sets of free-hand drawings will be produced to analyze its process and the way of thinking. The differences between hand drawings and computer-generated drawings will be analyzed, which will help identify how human imagination differs from what AI presently does. For this purpose, this research will be based on the prompts from the thesis ”Monuments in the AI Age Evaluation of AIGenerated Images in Architecture”, where students were investigating how AI sees different common keywords related to monuments. With a strong belief that hand drawing will be always an irreplaceable tool, reaching for new ones does not have to dominate traditional drawing, but can enrich it.