Allie K. Miller delivers a keynote address at the AIA25 conference. Photo by Steve Adams/Banker & Tradesman Staff
The American Institute of Architects’ top annual event placed Boston at the center of the design world last week, giving Massachusetts an opportunity to show off its recent contributions to the built environment.
More than 12,000 attendees swarmed the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for a tradeshow, industry seminars and tours of the region’s notable properties.
As is typical in such a large undertaking, there were some opening day snafus. One keynote presentation on AI in architecture was cancelled Wednesday after presenters’ flights were delayed. A shuttle bus failed to materialize for a harbor tour focused on coastal resiliency, giving the group an unscheduled 20-minute walking tour of the Seaport District to the Fan Pier boat launch.
Once the event hit its stride, presenters dove into some of the overriding topics, including an eye-opening talk on the next steps for artificial intelligence in architecture and beyond.
A ‘Hockey Stick’ Moment for AI
Prefacing her remarks with a respectful nod to Boston’s Brutalist architecture – “I love City Hall, by the way” – AI investor Allie K. Miller offered some predictions for the evolution of AI.
For starters, chat-based applications will be replaced by interfaces featuring AI avatars such as Character.ai.
“Lots of Gen Z folks know about this one. It’s the ability to talk back and forth with AI actors,” said Miller, a former top executive for Amazon Web services. “Most people think ChatGPT was this massive exception to the rule, but it actually was a harbinger.”
Users soon will be able to interact with AI agents using gestures, similar to the future envisioned in the 2002 science fiction film “Minority Report,” Miller predicted.
Researchers at Google and other tech giants are developing tools to map the entire world through 3D models, for the purposes of predictable analytics. The process is known as “world modeling.”
“I need everyone in this room to write down that phrase and set a Google alert for it,” Miller advised.
Ultimately, Miller said, AI will function as a “second brain” and boost revenues for companies that embrace it, including the ability to optimize dynamic pricing tools that raise and lower prices in response to demand.
A Logistical Puzzle in the Seaport
Nearing completion across from the BCEC, the new 10 World Trade office-lab building gave Boston-based architects Sasaki a chance to show off their latest prominent project.
Senior Associate Yifaat Ayzenberg Shoshan walked visitors through the double-height lobby, which includes a 150-capacity auditorium and cultural space on the mezzanine level.
The tower’s signature ground-level arches originated in Mexico and were delivered to the Seaport District site in sections, forcing the temporary closure of Interstate 90 and Congress Street as they were assembled.
For some members of the tour, the highlight was the Boston Harbor views from the 17th floor, where Sasaki wrapped a running track around the mechanical systems as a tenant amenity space.
Making Projects Pencil with Wood Frame
Mass timber’s potential to offer a low-carbon alternative to concrete and steel construction attracted widespread interest.
A bus tour to Middlesex County gave visitors a chance to tour the Groton Hill Music Center. Designed by Cambridge-based Epstein Joslin Architects and completed in 2022, the performance hall is renowned for its warm acoustics.
Meanwhile at the BCEC, an executive from a Canadian mass timber manufacturer briefed an overflow audience on recent projects. Toronto-based Element5 has a manufacturing plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, that produces 50,000 cubic meters of mass timber a year.
Lee Scott, the company’s director of sales, highlighted the potential to build mass timber additions on top of concrete-framed structures.
“When you’re trying to get a project to pencil, typically wood is more expensive than concrete or steel. But when you factor in schedule savings. … This is what helps wood buildings achieve cost parity,” Scott said.
