AI and architectural research

A question about programming in architecture education

Do architects now have to learn programming? Following Mr Hirschberg’s lecture, this audience question prompted an argument for basic programming literacy. Even some experience with scripting can make it easier to understand digital tools, evaluate their outputs and modify them when necessary.

The central objection concerned the claim that AI makes such knowledge unnecessary. A designer who cannot understand generated code may be unable to intervene when the result contains errors or does not meet the intended requirements. In the context of the lecture, the question therefore shifted attention from producing an output to retaining control over how it is produced. AI assistance was not rejected: experienced programmers could use it productively precisely because they retained the underlying skills.

A brief follow-up exchange addressed where those skills might fit within an architecture degree. A small seminar early in the curriculum was offered as an example. The answer connected competence with judgement: AI can supplement knowledge without replacing the ability to inspect and revise its results.

From the audience discussion following Prof. Dr. Urs Hirschberg’s 17:25 lecture, “AI and architectural research”. Quotations translated from German.