Architecture is at a turning point, requiring designers to challenge assumptions and view their work through new perspectives. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and growing environmental challenges are changing how buildings function and how they impact staff and communities. Architects have to navigate both while continuing to meet evolving client expectations.
Those topics were front and center at this year’s AIA National Conference, where I heard architects wrestle with what these developments mean for projects and how we practice. AI and resilience ask how architects can be more intentional about shaping the future rather than responding to it.
AI’s potential and its implications for the future of architecture made it one of the most prominent conversations at AIA National. I see an opportunity to use it where it can streamline repetitive, labor-intensive work, including:
By reducing time spent on tedious tasks, architects can focus on the human component of the job – design, problem-solving and client collaboration.
AI adoption looks different person to person. Some professionals are already comfortable using these tools, while others remain hesitant. Rather than allowing employees to push the bounds on their own, firms should establish a thoughtful framework for when, why and how AI should be used. Guardrails create a culture where AI is used to support the practice as a professional tool. AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The opportunity is to incorporate it deliberately and responsibly while preserving the judgment, creativity and relationships that define the profession.
AIA’s commitment to achieve net-zero energy and carbon-neutral buildings by 2030 is only four years away, making resilient architecture a substantial topic of discussion. Wold is a voluntary signatory of the commitment and has championed sustainability for years. However, the industry is not progressing towards the 2030 goals as quickly as needed. The challenge may not have been too ambitious, but the strategies and definitions for achieving it have not gone far enough.
Resilience is increasingly important as communities face increased natural disasters. Buildings need to withstand these pressures while also reducing energy consumption and environmental impact. One of the biggest barriers is the disconnect between ambitious sustainability goals and real-world project budgets. Green and resilient solutions may require additional upfront investment, which is why architects must lead budget conversations from day one. If expectations aren't set early, teams end up working against budgets that were never designed to support sustainability goals.
Progress will not happen overnight. Not every client is ready for full electrification, solar or the most ambitious sustainability goals, but their constraints shouldn’t take sustainable choices off the table. Smaller, strategic decisions may be better fits for client budgets and appetites. For example, teams can design electrical infrastructure to support future solar, increase roof capacity for future equipment, plan utility spaces around potential electrification, increase insulation, consider triple-pane glazing and use more efficient lighting and advanced controls. By reducing a building's overall energy load and improving its envelope and systems, future electrification and other improvements are more feasible. Architects have a responsibility to share best practices and educate clients on where they can start and how smaller decisions can build toward larger performance goals.
Early-career architects enter the field with a strong educational foundation in technology-driven and carbon-neutral design. In practice, they encounter budgets, schedules and clients who may not be ready to move as far or as quickly. The gap between what architects learn and what projects can realistically achieve requires us to meet clients where they are, but remain persistent.
Advocacy is part of our profession, and knowing when to continue pushing and when to find a practical middle ground is part of good client management. The profession needs emerging architects who continue asking difficult questions and looking for incremental ways to improve projects.
We also get stronger when we step outside our own bubble. One of my biggest takeaways from AIA National was the value of being around architects from other firms, regions and backgrounds. It's easy to develop a narrow perspective when you're focused on your firm and the clients and communities it serves. Conferences and professional associations provide exposure to different approaches, new resources and ideas, opportunities for advocacy and a broader understanding of where the profession is headed.
Final thought: AI asks firms to establish how technology can strengthen practice while protecting professional judgment. Resilience asks us to have harder conversations with clients about long-term performance, investment and responsibility. Both reinforce the value of architects as counsel, not simply designers. It’s up to us to seize the opportunities to shape the future we want to live in.
How are you preparing for what’s next? Whether you’re planning a project or looking to shape the future of architecture, Wold welcomes the conversation. Connect with our team or explore career opportunities.