Café Cognition 1

My AI Learning Journey 

This portfolio documents my journey in exploring artificial intelligence tools within an architectural thinking framework, through the development of the Café Cognition concept—a cultural café designed to create a calm environment that supports reading, reflection, and cognitive engagement away from digital distraction.

Throughout this journey, I followed an interconnected three-stage model that begins with NIAT (Intention) as a philosophical foundation guiding the design purpose, then moves to LAKU (Action) through the use of AI tools to generate ideas and visualizations, and finally reaches HASIL (Outcome), representing the final outputs that require critical evaluation and architectural analysis.

By using multiple AI tools—text-based, image-based, and research-based—I explored how prompt formulation directly influences the quality and accuracy of outputs, and how refining prompts can improve results. This process revealed that while AI is powerful in accelerating idea generation and producing compelling visuals, it lacks a deep understanding of architectural logic and real-world constraints. Therefore, the role of the architect remains essential in guiding, evaluating, and making informed design decisions.

This project is also connected to a broader understanding of architecture as the “mother of the arts,” where design goes beyond form to include spatial experience, user behavior, and cultural identity. Through Café Cognition, I aim to translate this understanding into a space that merges coffee with knowledge, redefining the café as a cultural environment rather than merely a commercial function.

Ultimately, this experience represents an exploration of the relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence in the design process. AI is not seen as a replacement, but as a supportive tool that requires conscious direction and critical thinking to transform ideas into meaningful, functional, and buildable architectural spaces.