AI-Based Tools and Applications: a Descriptive Mapping in the Architectural Design Process Stages

The architectural design process, intrinsically linked to the discipline of representation, is articulated through progressive phases, each characterized by specific activities and objectives. This article reports the preliminary results of a study aimed at mapping Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools currently available to support the design process and its representation, associating them with operational phases. AI, where implemented, has demonstrated its capacity to introduce novel approaches by automating procedures and identifying unexplored solutions. In architectural design, GenAI redefines representation, modifying its objectives and the diachrony of design phases. Digital tools enhanced by AI shape design thinking, demodulating the sequence and interaction between phases. Beyond mapping GenAI tools, the contribution is propaedeutic to future educational experiences (planned for the 2025/2026 academic year) to verify the applicability of AI tools in complex design processes. The study offers a framework of AI potentialities in contemporary architectural design and representation, highlighting how GenAI provides new visual tools and triggers a paradigm shift in how we conceive and communicate architectural design.