After months of tinkering with ChatGPT, I realized it could do more than just generate text - it can also produce 2D building layout images. The tool autonomously arranges rooms, taking into account factors like room relationships and site constraints. It even offers alternative layouts that highlight different experiential aspects.
Imagine a design tool that draws on the collective wisdom of architects and designers globally. This tool can offer layout suggestions, conceptual designs, and even adapt spaces for user experience, all powered by machine learning and natural language processing.
I had invested over a thousand hours over the last few years trying to build a Rhino plugin aimed at these same objectives, so I was pretty surprised when ChatGPT could do much better than my plugin in just a few hours of experimenting with prompts.
I included the prompt at the end of the article for anyone to try out - feel free to use it!
Real-World Applications: A History Museum Example
To show ChatGPT’s practical capabilities, I designed a fictional history museum. I input basic site information and a couple program requirements, and even asked the tool to use design principles from Christopher Alexander’s “A Pattern Language.” The following are excerpts from ChatGPT, showcasing a few of the initial layout options and its subsequent refinements based on Living Building Challenge principles and mass timber structural grid considerations.
ChatGPT Response Excerpts:
“... Alternative Layout 2
For the second alternative, we'll explore a radical rearrangement, shifting the main gallery to the center and positioning supporting spaces around it.
Let's visualize this alternative layout:
The above sketch represents Alternative Layout 2. Key changes in this layout include:
Main Gallery: Positioned centrally, acting as the core of the museum experience.
Entrance, Gift Shop, and Cafe: Arranged along the main street, offering a welcoming facade.
Offices and Restrooms: Placed along the garden view, enhancing the working environment and visitor convenience.
Storage and Educational Spaces: Strategically located to support museum functions.
This layout emphasizes the centrality of the main gallery, creating a radial flow around it. …”
“... Alternative Layout 4
In this layout, we'll explore a more fragmented design, creating distinct zones for different functions. This may enhance the visitor's perception of moving between different thematic areas within the museum.
Let's visualize this alternative layout:
The above sketch represents Alternative Layout 4. Key characteristics in this layout include:
Zoned Experience: The layout creates distinct zones, grouping related functions together. Visitors move through thematic areas, adding a sense of exploration.
Main and Temporary Galleries: Positioned along the main street, attracting visitors' attention right from the entrance.
Gift Shop and Cafe: Located centrally, acting as a hub that connects different areas of the museum.
Storage and Back of House Functions: Organized efficiently, supporting the museum's daily operations without disrupting visitor flow.
This layout encourages a sense of discovery and may suit exhibitions that benefit from a more segmented presentation. …”
Follow Up Prompt:
I am trying to achieve the Living Building Challenge with this museum. How might the layout change in order to accomplish that?
ChatGPT Response:
"Living Building Challenge Compliant Layout
Here is the sketch of a building layout that incorporates changes to comply with the Living Building Challenge:
Layout Features:
Entrance & Edu Space: Located near the main street, this area serves as both the entrance and an educational space about sustainability.
Main Gallery (Modular): Positioned centrally, the gallery is designed with modular walls for flexibility and includes space for natural light and ventilation.
Temporary Gallery (Recyclable): This gallery is designed using materials that are easy to recycle or repurpose.
Offices (Natural Light): Located to maximize natural light and designed for efficient energy use.
Gift Shop (Sustainable): Situated to maximize street visibility and focused on sustainable products.
Cafe & Urban Agri: Positioned near the main entrance and includes a small urban agriculture section.
Storage & Shelter: Multi-purpose space that can serve as a storage area and an emergency shelter.
Restrooms (Efficient): Located near the main gallery and offices, featuring water-efficient fixtures.
Loading Dock (EV Charging): Includes electric vehicle charging stations and is situated for logistical efficiency.
Special Exhibit (Outdoor): This space is flexible and could host seasonal outdoor exhibits.
Natural Garden: An area dedicated to native plants”
Second Follow up Prompt:
I am using a CLT mass timber system that only allows for a 25' x 25' grid. Can you make this layout work with that grid? not every wall needs to align with the grid, but that is better when possible.
ChatGPT Response:
"CLT Mass Timber System Compliant Layout
Here is the building layout that is compliant with the 25' x 25' grid constraints of the CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber) mass timber system:
The gray dashed lines indicate the 25' x 25' grid, making it easier to see how the layout aligns with the grid constraints. This layout aims to balance the requirements of the Living Building Challenge with the structural constraints of the CLT mass timber system.”
Building Layout Prompt Engineering
For those interested in to prompt engineering, here are some tips for effective prompting with ChatGPT:
- Assign a role: “Act as an architect.”
- Clearly state the task’s objective.
- Iterate on wording until the tool comprehends your needs.
- List certain data points to enhance output accuracy.
- Be cautious of mathematical errors and performance degradation over lengthy sessions.
While the future is filled with potential, there’s also a part of me that hesitates to embrace these technological leaps fully. It’s a complex feeling—nostalgic for the tactile connection in older methods but eager to unlock new capabilities like those ChatGPT offers. Will future architects lean more into observational and psychological skills, shifting away from the heavily technical aspects of today’s profession? I can imagine a future where the handcrafted and the algorithmic coexist, creating spaces that are both innovative and deeply human.
How to Try It
Here's the ChatGPT-4 prompt I utilized. The text is written based on my past experience trying to make this work in Rhino. Note: This prompt requires ChatGPT-4 with advanced data analysis enabled. I’ll also say that this prompt will not work every time, and may need some adjustments to do what you want it to do:
Objective: Act as an architect to design a one-story history museum in downtown Seattle, Washington. The site is rectangular, located in a high-density urban area. Follow a step-by-step process to create a museum plan, placing rooms adjacent to related rooms and site elements, and emphasizing visitor experiences.
Site Information:
Top edge width: 100 feet. Site elements: Blank wall of another building.
Bottom edge width: 100 feet. Site elements: busy downtown main street, ideal for the main entrance, reception, cafe, and gift shop.
Left edge height: 200 feet. Site elements: side street, ideal for loading, office views, back of house rooms.
Right edge height: 200 feet. Site elements: Views and pathways to a garden, library, and historic house museum.
Building Rules:
Some rooms must touch the border of the site when along a street border.
All of the room areas combined must be about 12000 sq. ft.
Include required spaces like the Entrance, Main Gallery, Temporary Gallery, Offices, Gift Shop, etc.
Adhere to the golden ratio proportion for room dimensions.
The site border must be visible in the final plot.
Instructions:
Museum Planning Table:
Task: Create a table of the top 10 rooms required for the history museum. Include each room's area, adjacent rooms or site elements, relevant patterns from Christopher Alexander's book "A Pattern Language," and the room's width and height.
Details: Ensure realistic room sizes for a 12000 sq.ft. museum.
Determine Room Coordinates:
Task: Define the four corner coordinates of each room within the site's boundary of (0,0),(100,200).
Details: Place rooms in order of site relationships, room relationships, and ensure no overlaps.
Review and Rewrite Room Coordinates:
Task: Revise coordinates to ensure no overlaps, compliance with all requirements, and that all rooms create a single building shape within the site boundary.
Create Multiple Alternate Room Layouts:
Task: Design at least three alternate room layouts with different arrangements.
Details: Explain the visitor experience for each layout, and how the spatial arrangement supports the museum's goals.
Generate Sketches for Floorplan Layouts:
Task: Create sketches based on Python code for the main layout and alternate layouts.
Details: Show site boundary, label site conditions, label rooms, scale to fit the entire site, and ensure golden ratio room proportions.
Outcome: A comprehensive plan for a history museum, including a detailed table of room requirements, clear floorplan layout sketches, and a range of visitor experiences reflected in alternate layouts.
Style: Maintain a professional and technical tone, suitable for architectural planning.
Length: Include necessary illustrations, tables, or code. Provide concise yet detailed responses for each step.
Format: Present information in a clear and organized manner, using headings, bullet points, tables, and visuals.