AI-Assisted Design Development

1. Research and Historical Analysis

The design process began with AI-assisted research to understand the architectural and cultural significance of Gyeongbokgung Palace. ChatGPT was used to gather information about traditional Korean architecture, including roof geometry, courtyard organization, wooden construction details, and symbolic architectural elements.

This stage helped establish a strong historical foundation before starting the design development process.

2. Architectural Feature Extraction

After studying the palace, key architectural elements were identified and extracted as design references:

• Traditional curved roof forms

• Courtyard-based spatial organization

• Hierarchical circulation patterns

• Wooden structural expression

• Korean decorative motifs

These elements became the primary design inputs used throughout the AI-assisted workflow.

3. Prompt Development and Concept Generation

AI image-generation tools were used to transform historical references into contemporary architectural concepts.

The first prompts were intentionally simple, producing generic modern buildings with weak cultural identity. Through multiple iterations, the prompts became increasingly detailed and included specific references to:

• Gyeongbokgung Palace

• Traditional Korean roof geometry

• Cultural symbolism

• Contemporary materials such as glass and steel

• Sustainable architectural technologies

As the prompts improved, the quality and relevance of the generated concepts improved significantly.

4. Design Evaluation and Selection

Several AI-generated concepts were produced and compared. Each proposal was evaluated according to:

• Cultural authenticity

• Architectural quality

• Functional suitability

• Visual impact

• Buildability

Human judgment remained essential during this stage. AI generated the options, but the final selection was based on architectural reasoning and design evaluation.

5. Benefits of Using AI

The use of AI provided several advantages throughout the project:

• Faster concept development

• Rapid visualization of ideas

• Exploration of multiple design directions

• Improved creative experimentation

• Better integration of traditional and contemporary architectural elements

AI significantly reduced the time required for early-stage concept generation and allowed a broader exploration of design possibilities.

6. Reflection on AI Usage

This project demonstrated that AI is most effective as a creative design assistant rather than a replacement for architects.

While AI accelerated research, visualization, and concept generation, critical architectural decisions still required human creativity, cultural understanding, and professional judgment.

The final design was therefore the result of collaboration between Artificial Intelligence and human architectural thinking.