Last month, construction technology company Icon, a Texas-based startup behind the world's largest 3D printing district in Austin, announced the beta version of an AI architecture bot that can provide floor plans for your dream home.
The AI, named Vitruvius after the Roman architect, took the company 18 months to develop and works similarly to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. However, rather than providing conversational answers to questions, the bot helps users plan their homes.
entrepreneur We tested the bot, which is currently available for free in beta, on Thursday and were impressed with the results.
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No architectural background is required to start using Vitruvius. All you need is a written prompt.
The Vitruvius AI chatbot suggests prompts and gives users the opportunity to enter their own prompts.Credit: Entrepreneur
I wrote this: “I'd like to build a townhouse in New York with four beds, three baths, and a garden. Classic Victorian style, with lots of plants and a cool rooftop.”
Vitruvius immediately said, “Sounds like a beautiful and vibrant living space! For the interior, are you envisioning a more open floor plan, or are you looking for a more specific function, such as a formal dining room, library, or home office?'' Are you imagining a separate, separate room?” He also asked two other clarifying questions about my vision for the space.
From the answers, the chatbot came up with three designs.
Credit: Vitruvius AI
The bot is currently limited to floor plans and exterior and interior renderings. Pricing and 3D models will be published soon, as well as construction documents and non-watermarked images in the future.
On the plus side, the floor plan included all of my specifications, including an idea of how the house would look inside and out. The downside is that I wanted the bedrooms and bathrooms to be spread out over multiple floors, but the AI placed the house on his one floor in the townhouse.
A sample floor plan of one of the designs can be viewed here. When I created my free account, Vitruvius warned me that even though AI has “advanced modeling capabilities,” I should always discuss the “structural health” of the designs it produces with engineers. did.
“Additionally, it is your responsibility to ensure that all plans comply with applicable building codes and zoning laws,” the disclaimer reads. “Professional verification is essential to ensure the safety and legality of the project.”
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According to NBC News, the next step for AI will be to add electrical, structural, plumbing, and mechanical details to plans, making the new home design process cheaper and faster for buyers, but not as human. The burden on architects may also be reduced.
“Vitruvian's big vision is to go all the way from human desire to delivery,” Icon co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard told NBC News, adding that someday the document He explained that this could include construction, schedules, and even robotic construction.
According to Forbes magazine, architects currently charge 5% to 15% of the total cost of a new home, potentially costing buyers tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. be.
The concept behind Vitruvius seems new, as AI industry leaders like OpenAI and Google have yet to offer an AI that can do exactly the same thing.
