The country’s leading architects shared their insights on the future and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) at a recent panel discussion. Organized by One Mega Group’s BluPrint magazine, it was in collaboration with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Environment and Design.
BluPrint’s Ask the Experts event attracted over 400 learners, faculty members, and industry aficionados. Spearheaded by industry professionals, the initiative featured PDP Architects president and founder Cathy Saldaña, Leandro V. Locsin Partners and Khadka + Eriksson Furunes partner Sudarshan Khadka Jr., and former Benilde School of Design and Arts Dean Joey Yupangco. Also in attendance was BluPrint magazine editor-in-chief Geewel Cabungcal-Fuster, a licensed architect and entrepreneur.
“The students learned AI is not a threat and it is up to their responsibility how they should treat it in the near future,” Benilde Architecture Program chairperson Ven Quizon noted. “On the other hand, after they graduate, there are a lot of job niches they can create or they can help improve both local and international.”
Saldaña, known for her expertise in hospitality design and sustainable island developments, leads a firm that does green certifications and carbon credit initiatives for large scale projects. The certified green building professional underscored the use of AI as a helpful instrument in architecture.
“AI is becoming a tool or the other way around. Thus, we as architects might become the tool. It is up to us as humans how we should treat AI and make these tools humanized as possible,” Saldaña said. “After the graduation of architecture students, there are jobs and niches that they would need to pursue like doing graduate studies, mentoring, business entrepreneurship, architectural writing, among others.”
She also tackled the future career expectations of the participants, up-and-coming fields in the business, and environmental sustainability practices.
Khadka, a co-curator of the Structures of Mutual Support, which was awarded the Special Mention as National Participation honor at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, weighed the pros and cons of AI in areas such as rendering designs, making images, and creating swift outputs.
The curator further addressed the fear of architects on the possibility of AI taking over their jobs. However, Khadka noted that it does not have the capacity to replace human connection and ensure the safety of buildings. He also highlighted their significant role as artists to be able to navigate the AI revolution.
Meanwhile, Yupangco added that the machines cannot formulate fresh ideas like the architects can and that these professionals have a far superior touch for the material than AI.