The Architect as Digital Craftsman : Revisiting manual dexterity through artificial intelligence


AYAZ ERDAĞ A., SORGUÇ A.

43rd Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2025), Ankara, Turkey, Ankara, Türkiye, 1 - 05 Eylül 2025, cilt.2, ss.483-492, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Cilt numarası: 2
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Ankara
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.483-492
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) can complement, rather than replace, manual dexterity in architectural design. Drawing on data from 158 pavilion projects, it develops a hybrid design model in which architects mediate between machine logic and human craftsmanship. Through the DeepSmart Corpus Research, a comprehensive design ontology is constructed, revealing how AI enhances the improvisational, tactile, and material-aware qualities of traditional building practices. The dataset includes over 5,000 data points across 32 design features, offering a nuanced understanding of human–machine collaboration. The findings contribute to a growing discourse on human–machine collaboration in architecture, proposing a future where digital tools amplify, rather than diminish, the role of the human hand. The study emphasizes the need for integration where AI serves as an enabler of craftsmanship, enhancing rather than eclipsing the human designer’s tactile and conceptual contributions.