This piece takes you on an introductory and personal exploration into the evolving dialogue between designers and Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on the conceptual design process within the built environment. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining our intrinsic creative and human values throughout this interaction. With the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, we're prompted to engage more thoughtfully and critically with our language, considering the intent and expected outcomes of our communications.

During a call with old friend and filmmaker Gabe Tolliver, he quipped: "...Open sesame...it's the art of the Prompt...", highlighting the ongoing challenge of crafting prompts to achieve precise results. This pursuit of refinement in our prompts is crucial, as it can lead to vastly different visual interpretations. These outcomes may align with the AI's assumptions (for example, when asked to '...draw an apple...') or emerge from more poetic and illustrative expressions, offering a foundation for further refinement and enhancement.

Remember to revisit this conversation periodically; the dialogue with AI is an ongoing negotiation.

AI in Action — 2025 Case Snippets

At HTDSTUDIO, our AI journey has steadily moved from early experiments into practical use across design and development. In 2025, we’ve focused on applying AI where it adds real value — accelerating research, exploring design directions, and beginning to prototype tools that connect creativity with real-world execution.

Here are a few ways AI has been integrated into our work during 2025 — not as a replacement for design, but as a tool for exploration, research, and collaboration.

Hospitality Concept Studies
AI-generated visualizations supported early-stage explorations for potential hospitality sites, helping us test spatial, material, and experiential directions before entering detailed design.

Workflow Prototyping
We’ve been developing internal workflows that link architectural models with potential material suppliers and craftspeople, aiming to streamline sourcing and enable circular economy practices.

Feasibility & Market Research
AI has assisted with zoning reviews, regulatory frameworks, and market comparables for projects in Portugal and Sweden, providing structured insights at the feasibility stage.

Cultural & Narrative Research
We’ve applied AI to explore heritage, cultural narratives, and contextual references that help shape hospitality storytelling and design identity.

Circular Economy Mapping
AI has been used to identify local producers, materials, and reuse opportunities, embedding circular economy practices into hospitality and development projects.

Platform Development
A studio-specific AI platform is in prototyping, designed to manage research, investor relationships, and value-chain mapping across hospitality and real estate development.

Content & Travel Research
AI has supported cultural and lifestyle-oriented projects, including the prototyping of a digital travel guide app that connects design research with lived experience.

Studio Operations
AI has streamlined internal processes such as organizing research, structuring proposals, and preparing project deliverables — allowing more focus on design and development.

Together, these steps mark steady progress in making AI a practical part of our design and development process, and lay the groundwork for broader applications ahead.

At HTDSTUDIO, we’ve been immersed in an exciting journey of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into architectural design, particularly during the conceptual phase. Our "A.I. Research Project" is a deep dive into how human creativity and AI can collaborate in meaningful ways. This exploration has been eye-opening, revealing both the opportunities and challenges of working with AI tools in a field so rooted in human ingenuity.

Using platforms like Gemini, Veo, Fotor AI, ChatGPT5, 4o, and MidJourney V7.0, we’ve been experimenting with prompt engineering—the practice of crafting precise inputs to guide AI in generating design outputs. It’s been fascinating to witness how subtle tweaks in phrasing can lead to completely different visual interpretations, often sparking ideas we might not have arrived at on our own. While the process requires patience and a willingness to iterate, the results have been both inspiring and unexpected.

This experimentation has also highlighted the importance of remaining intentional. AI, while powerful, is only as effective as the creativity and clarity we bring to it. We’ve found that its true value lies in its ability to augment our process rather than replace it—offering fresh perspectives and efficiencies while still leaving room for the intuition and nuance that make architecture so deeply human.

We’ve also shared what we’ve learned through talks like "Negotiating with the Genie" at Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Exchange in Malmö, Sweden. These discussions have been invaluable in helping us contextualize our findings and engage with others navigating the intersection of design and AI.

So far, this journey has been as rewarding as it has been humbling. AI has proven to be a powerful collaborator, but it’s also reminded us of the irreplaceable role of human values, perspectives, and creativity. We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, refining this relationship between technology and design with each new experiment. At HTDSTUDIO, we see AI not as a shortcut but as a partner in expanding our creative potential—and we’re just getting started.

Client: Experimental | Location: The Universe | Total Floor Area: ♾️ ft2/m2 | Budget: ♾️ | Status: 2023-Ongoing. Software: Gemini / Veo2 / WAN AI / Fotor Ai extension / ChatGPT4o, GPT5 / MidJourney V6.0, V7.0 / Notebook LM | Hardware: Apple MacBook Pro M2Max 38-core / Apple iMac 2020 27” 80GB / 10TB

Concept Design / Prompt Engineering: HTDSTUDIO

Guest Lecturer: “Negotiating with the Genie”, The Hive: "Artificial Intelligence in the Field", Capgemini Applied Innovation Exchange, Malmö, Sweden - November, 2023