As one of the most robust industries, architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) have traditionally been on the more conservative side of technological uptake – and the multifaceted volatility of the last few years has certainly added a layer of complexity. But things are looking up.
“While we are still far from calm waters, the nation’s architects, engineers, builders, designers and manufacturers have made notable strides in creating foundations for recovery,” says Andy Cunningham, Senior Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand at Autodesk. The company needs little introduction – their innovative software has been advancing the potential of the AECO industries for years, and now – unsurprisingly – it’s also at the forefront of AI innovation.
Recently, Autodesk released its annual study – 2024 State of Design & Make – that offers a fascinating deep dive into an intersection of nearly 5,400 leading global businesses (including 451 in Australia) across sectors including AECO. “The report flags that we are ahead of the global average in preparedness, moving faster to leverage advanced technologies like AI,” Cunningham enthuses. “And we hold much stronger views on the short- and long-term benefits of sustainability in business.” In fact, the study shows that 81% of Australian respondents are proud of their organisations' sustainability efforts – a big jump from last year’s 47%.
Marking a pivotal shift from reactive to proactive industry attitude, the resilience, certainty and readiness to embrace new technologies are timely – AI is here, and it brings about immense potential to enhance the industry. This exciting prospect is galvanising the industries across Australia, demonstrating genuine excitement at the arrival of AI.
The AI adoption is underway - and we’re optimistic
According to the State of Design & Make study, AI adoption is underway, with 67% of Australian respondents confirming that they have either already incorporated AI into their companies, or are working on it. In addition, almost 80% trust AI technologies and agree that it will enhance their industry, making it more creative; and almost 70% predict that it will be essential across the board in the next couple of years. This optimism is justified – the transformative potential for AI is immense.
“There are two key areas: the remedial and the creative acceleration,” Cunningham says when asked about the areas he thinks AI can have the biggest impact. “First, AI can automate repetitive, administrative tasks – the documentation, the lines and circles that architects dislike. This frees up time for more creative and challenging work,” he explains. “Secondly, it can accelerate the creative process itself – and this is definitely the part that’s still evolving.”
In the conceptual design phase, AI can run in the background, providing suggestions and creative elements that enable earlier decision-making – this helps avoid costly or unsustainable outcomes later in the project lifecycle. “A part of that is what we've seen with generative design and cloud computing – the mass computing power and the ability to iterate rapidly,” Cunningham explains. “AI enhances this further by incorporating logic and learnings from past projects, optimising the creative process.”
Sustainability and business efficiency, supercharged by AI
Naturally, the potential for improved environmental outcomes is tremendous. “AI allows architects to minimise waste and optimise material use throughout the project,” Cunningham says – similarly, we can do the same in other industries. This is exemplified in the Palme React project, a collaboration between Autodesk and sports retailer Decathlon in the manufacturing space. The FF 500 React diving fin represents a major step forward in the use of generative design to reduce impact by harnessing Autodesk’s Fusion artificial intelligence to generate a fin shape using as little material as possible. This innovation reduces its carbon impact by 50% against the market benchmark, and combined with its single-material, recycled plastic construction, ensures that the fin can be easily recycled without needing to be dismantled at the end of its life.
In New Zealand, Warren and Mahoney (WAM) are also leveraging Autodesk's platform to supercharge their sustainability efforts. By tapping into Autodesk Platform Services, they can quickly analyse material data across their entire design portfolio, making informed choices that significantly reduce their environmental impact. The results are impressive – on one project alone, WAM slashed emissions by 5,000 tons. That’s an equivalent of removing over 1,000 cars from the road for a whole year – and a striking testament to AI and Autodesk’s software ability to drive outstanding sustainability outcomes.
How design is evolving through AI
That said, the potential of generative AI tools extends to other areas of architecture and design. “Imagine you have a plot of land, and you have to plan the layout that accommodates homes, lighting, greenery and car spaces,” Cunningham says. “What’s the best arrangement for that? Generative AI can help with that.”
It is also revolutionising the way we design floor plates, especially in the context of evolving workstyles. “It's no longer just about arranging desks – it's about creating productive environments tailored to new ways of working, and we’re seeing generative AI used to optimise layouts, considering factors beyond furniture placement. We analyse people's movement and interactions within a space to create ‘collisions’ that spark collaboration and innovation,” Cunningham smiles. “For example, placing finance and design teams in proximity could foster better communication and problem-solving.”
Preparing for AI adoption
However, with these amazing prospects within reach, digital transformation and AI adoption require rigorous preparation – and come with a suite of unique challenges. 30% of the report’s respondents in Australia said that cost was a barrier, while almost 40% felt the time needed to invest in new tools and ways of working was also holding them back. Add the need to get new equipment, revisit internal processes and even company culture, and taking the exciting AI plunge seems more daunting. But Autodesk is set on democratising technology.
“It’s always been our overarching mantra,” Cunningham says. “We’re looking at how we take the technology that's evolutionary and revolutionary at this stage and make it mainstream.” Cloud-based platforms are a great help because they don’t require the costly investment in heavy computing equipment. This means that even a small studio can get access to cloud-based analysis tools and pay per use only, which potentially removes cost and space limitations as barriers to adoption.
However, these considerations make it evident that creating a reliable operational framework is crucial to a successful AI adoption. What are some of its key components?
Getting the house in order
“Data readiness and skills,” Cunningham says without hesitation. “To leverage AI effectively, you need structured, organised data. So the first, and I’d say the most important, step – whether you’re a multinational corporation or a sole trader – is ensuring that your data is structured, and all your processes are in order.”
Cunningham says it’s about standardisation. “We already have collaborative tools like BIM Collaborate Pro, which allow model sharing and will essentially form the basis of our AI platform. And our common data environment will support many more capabilities in the future, supporting many of the future capabilities.” Does it mean we’re leaving files like Excel sheets and PDFs behind? Yes – but only in the unstructured sense. “You can still use PDFs and markups, photos and models, but it's about structuring all this information within the right context and systems.”
Autodesk is, in fact, working on a comprehensive model design to help manage data, and create efficient and reliable frameworks. “We’re building our own model from the ground up,” Cunningham says. “It’s a multi-modal model that goes beyond text-based intelligence, and handles 3D geometry, photographs and text. As it evolves, it will empower us to provide the solutions the architecture, engineering and construction industry needs.”
For now, any AECO company who wants to embrace the rise of AI as part of their practice should get their data in order. “Make sure it's structured and organised,” Cunningham says. “Then ensure you have the right skill set, understanding, and the required resources. Start small with pilot projects that can demonstrate success and build on those. And remember, it’s crucial to have buy-in and support from leadership.”
And while the advancements in this space are taking place at an incredible pace – and will only accelerate – Cunningham offers a crucial reminder. “It’s a journey,” he says. “Not an overnight transformation.”
The AI-powered future is multidimensional
Whatever the pace of adoption, Autodesk’s continuously evolving AI capabilities will bolster the industry along the way. While the multi-modal model is still in the development stage, Autodesk has launched an exciting generative AI research effort called Project Bernini.
“While not commercially available, Bernini showcases our AI capabilities,” Cunningham enthuses. “It can rapidly generate a 3D object but what really sets it apart is its understanding of the object. For example, if you input a photo of a jug, it won't just extrude the image into the third dimension – it recognises the jug for what it is, creating the void, handle, textures, and so on.”
Designed to work with 2D images, text, voxels and point clouds, Project Bernini offers a taste of what Autodesk’s multi-modal models will be able to do. And when it’s trained on larger, higher-quality data sets, Bernini will become increasingly useful and compelling for the Design and Make industries. In that, it offers an optimistic glimpse into what the future of the sector might look like, while reminding Australian industry professionals that getting organised, and getting their houses in order, will be fundamental to leveraging the immense potential of the dynamically-evolving capabilities of AI.
