What I and AI did on land where I was told 'You cannot build here.' | An Architect's Desk Theory

Beautiful architecture is born from beautiful sketches.
Many people might think so.
But the reality is much grittier and more mundane.
The first job we architects do is not picking up a pen.
It is deciphering a thick and complex rulebook called 'the laws of that land'.

The double punch of 'ruins' and 'regulations'
Currently, we are working on a new clinic construction project.
There was a major wall at the planned construction site.
First, it is an 'urbanization control area.' In principle, it is an area where you cannot build houses or shops.
To make matters worse, there was a possibility that 'buried cultural properties (ruins)' were sleeping beneath our feet.
Building a hospital on 'land where you cannot build.'
If even a piece of pottery were found during construction, the work would stop for several months for excavation surveys.
Even putting up a single sign is hindered by strict landscape ordinances.
The old me would have spent days at the government office, read through hundreds of pages of ordinances, and stayed up all night identifying risks.
But this time, I have a reliable 'partner'.
Google's generative AI, 'NotebookLM'.
I tried having the AI read all the 'government documents'.
I threw everything I obtained—city planning maps, ordinance PDFs, hazard maps, and the 'philosophy sheet' filled with the doctor's thoughts—into NotebookLM.
Then, while drinking coffee, I talked to it via chat.
'What is the biggest risk that would stop construction on this land?'
The AI answered in a few seconds.
'According to the materials regarding the buried cultural property site, the 'XX Ruins' have been confirmed on the adjacent land. Depending on the results of the trial excavation, a full-scale excavation may be required, posing a risk of construction delays. Also, regarding signs, it may fall under the prohibited area within 30m of an intersection.'
He perfectly grasped even the 'notes in the corner of the map' that a human might overlook.
The logic to turn 'no' into 'can'
The AI's job is not just to find risks.
It also becomes a sounding board to think together about 'how to make it buildable'.
To obtain permission in an urbanization control area, it is necessary to prove public interest, such as 'it is an absolutely necessary facility for the region'.
I instructed the AI to combine the doctor's philosophy with regional aging data.
Then, the AI proposed a logic not as a mere 'clinic' but as 'public infrastructure to extend the healthy life expectancy of the local community'.
This becomes a powerful weapon to persuade the government office.
Technology exists to protect passion.
In the end, I think what we architects do is 'translation'.
Translating the client's 'passionate thoughts' into a form that can be realized within the 'cold rules' of the law.
By leaving that translation work to AI, I have been able to pour all my energy into 'design that moves people's hearts'.
AI does not design.
However, without AI, this project would have wasted a considerable amount of time in front of the 'wall of legal regulations'.
'You cannot build here.'
Even in places where you are told that, if you have technology and wisdom, you can draw a future.
It seems my partnership with AI will continue.
▼ For those who want to know more
'How exactly are you using NotebookLM?'
'I want to see the prompts (instructions).'
For fellow professionals and those interested in architectural DX, we are publishing 'practical-level technical explanations' on our office's official blog.
Please take a look. ↓

📖 Read the article: AI utilization in the architectural design and spatial design industryAI—Site Survey Edition—

[Author of this article: Tetsuya Matsumoto]

Representative of KTX archiLAB, First-Class Architect, Part-time Lecturer at Osaka University of Arts

Ranked 9th in the World in the Italian DAC Certified Designer Rankings (1st in Japan)

▶Wikipedia Tetsuya Matsumoto (Architect)

[Contact Information]
KTX archiLAB First-Class Architect Office
002 S-Scenario Minami-Azabu, 3-4-5 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
2F Nisshin Building, 298-2 Funaoka-cho, Himeji-shi, Hyogo

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Architectural design and interior design for restaurants, clinics, retail stores, hair salons, etc.

Email: kentixx@ktx.space
Phone Number: 03-4400-4529 (Main)
Website: https://ktx.space/

[Related Article Links]
▶Representative Matsumoto Newsweek Magazine Interview
▶KTX archiLAB Profile (Company Overview)
▶KTX archiLAB YouTube Video Channel