Artificial Intelligence Applied On Today‘s Urban and Architectural Conceptual Design - A Competition Case Study

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced new possibilities in urban and architectural conceptual design, reshaping traditional workflows and creative methodologies. This thesis starts by literature review and case studies to set a theoretical background. After that it investigates the application of some mature AI tools, including ChatGPT, DALL·E, and Stable Diffusion as an example, within the context of a design competition, which focused on urban and architectural issues. This thesis studies how AI can support conceptual design. It focus on how AI may change the traditional design process in urban and architectural projects. Meanwhile, It also examines the limits of current AI tools. The thesis focuses on a project turning vacant high-rise office buildings into residential houses. It looks at urban challenges in Shanghai's Pudong district. It starts by analyzing the lifestyles and social issues of the user- young professional couples, till the design concept decision made. It shows how AI can help to create and improve ideas in the design process. The findings show that AI is a useful tool in conceptual design. It makes the process faster and helps generate ideas. However, human expertise is still needed for spatial and contextual decisions, also traditional tools. There is a possibility to create a better workflow.