School of Architecture Graduate AI Certificate

Director: Dr. Karla Saldana Ochoa

Faculty: Dr. Riccardo Villa, Dr. Shangde Gao and Dr. Zifeng Guo

Certificate Booklet

Certificate Structure

The certificate offers a structured curriculum that emphasises coding, computation, and both theoretical and practical AI applications in architecture. It ensures students develop a competitive advantage in the job market through comprehensive AI education, bridging the skills gap and preparing them for success in this dynamic field.

Timeline

Timeline (CityLab Students)

Courses

Introduces students to concepts like variables, conditions, loops, algorithms, and libraries. Through hands-on experiences, they will learn how to apply these concepts to solve real-world design problems. The course also meets university criteria as an "AI Enrichment" offering.

Meets the university requirements as an “AI Ethics” course. Students will examine the role of AI and data-driven algorithms in architecture, exploring issues like fairness, bias, and copyright. They will also develop first-year architecture syllabi that integrate AI as a foundational element in the curriculum.

3 credits
- W01. AI in Interactive Design
- W02. AI in Robotics (w/ BCN: Aladdin Alwisy)
- W03. AI in Image Recognition / Point Cloud Segmentation
- W04. Augmented Reality-Assisted Robotic Fabrication
- W05. Augmented Reality-Assisted Assembly

Students will focus on experimentation and hands-on application, learning common AI and Machine Learning algorithms used in design. They will apply these tools in architectural projects, which will fulfil university requirements under the “Use & Apply AI” category.

Coming up (2027)

3 credits
- W01. AI in building performance simulation and prediction
- W02. AI in building energy management and consumption
- W03. AI in HVAC system control and energy consumption
- W04. AI in building noise control
- W05. AI in lighting control

This foundational course in architectural education challenges students to apply knowledge and skills from previous courses to real-world design projects. It fulfills university requirements under the “Use & Apply AI” category.