Journal

Reinier de Graaf's manifesto calls for architects to embrace AI for aesthetic decisions, arguing that many of these choices are arbitrary and better suited for data-driven approaches. This article explores the implications of this proposal and its potential to reshape architectural practice.

Engaging Cal Newport on why productivity technologies can make knowledge work worse, and arguing that architectural practice needs institutional knowledge systems—not abstinence from tools—to escape pseudo-productivity.

Modern AI systems do not think or understand; they statistically predict patterns in data. I dive into research to explain how they work, why hallucinations are mathematically built in, why users still trust them, how RAG fits in, and how human intelligence fundamentally differs.

Architecture firms flourish under visionary founders and flounder in the next generation because we have failed to articulate what we know. Other design disciplines - engineering, UX, music - developed systematic pedagogies to transmit expert judgment. Architecture chose mystification. The result: knowledge dies with masters, firms struggle to scale, and each generation rediscovers principles intuitively rather than building on explicit foundations.

This revised essay examines Shape Grammar, a computational method that identifies and manipulates geometric forms during design. While valuable for analysing historical architecture, it cannot explain why architects made design choices—only how their patterns work. I argued that Shape Grammar requires integration with architectural history and theory for effective use and teaching.

Tropical architecture once thrived on passive strategies like natural ventilation, perfectly suited for hot, humid climates. But in today's crowded cities, where heat, pollution, and pests rule, these methods fall short. As buildings turn to energy-hungry air conditioning, we find ourselves in a cycle of rising discomfort and poor air quality. The question now is: how do we blend timeless wisdom with modern innovation to create spaces that truly work for us?

I completed my Master Thesis in Architecture years ago, but only recently found time to revisit its arguments and theoretical explorations. This series is that reflection, written to clarify my own thinking and preserve it, lest it fade. Part 01 returns to the foundations of the discipline, or at least, my understanding of it. This first article investigates my foundational understanding of architecture.