Intangible space
From the imagination to AI: New forms of design at the intersection of design, architecture and generative systems
Keywords:
Immaterial Space, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Synthetic Design, Human–AI Co-creation, Design Creativity
Abstract
The text explores how generative artificial intelligence transforms the immaterial space of the design process, redefining the relationships between the imaginary, creativity and representation in design and architecture. Using a qualitative-interpretative approach, it introduces the concept of synthetic design, grounded in the interaction among human intentionality, cultural memory, and algorithmic generation. The analysis highlights how deviations, selections, and critical assessments transform generated possibilities into informed design choices, reaffirming the designer’s interpretative role and responsibility.
References
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- Gupta, R., & Kyaw, A. H. (2025). Insights informed generative AI for design: Incorporating real-world data for text-to-image output. arXiv. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2506.15008.
- Hosanagar, K., & Ahn, D. (2024). Designing human and generative AI collaboration. arXiv. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2412.14199.
- Hu, X., Xing, Y., Cai, X., Zhao, Y., Cook, M., Borgo, R., & Neate, T. (2025). Designing interactions with generative AI for art and creativity: A systematic review and taxonomy. In Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (pp. 1126–1155). Association for Computing Machinery. doi:10.1145/3715336.3735843.
- Jang, S., Roh, H., & Lee, G. (2025). Generative AI in architectural design: Application, data, and evaluation methods. Automation in Construction, 174, 106174. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106174.
- Jiang, B. (2026). AI for architecture: From style-driven generation to structure-guided design. Journal of Urban Management. Advance online publication. doi:10.1016/j.jum.2026.100535.
- Lee, S., & Kang, S. (2025). The influence of generative AI with prompt engineering on creative design in architectural education. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/13467581.2025.2552446.
- Li, C., Zhang, T., Du, X., Zhang, Y., & Xie, H. (2024). Generative AI models for different steps in architectural design: A literature review. arXiv. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2404.01335.
- Martins, J., & Durmaz-Drinkwater, B. (2026). The impact of AI on urban design practice: Exploring practitioners’ perspectives. Journal of Urban Design. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/13574809.2026.2646150.
- McGuire, J., De Cremer, D., & Van de Cruys, T. (2024). Establishing the importance of co-creation and self-efficacy in creative collaboration with artificial intelligence. Scientific Reports, 14, 18525. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-69423-2.
- Paananen, V., Oppenlaender, J., & Visuri, A. (2024). Using text-to-image generation for architectural design ideation. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 22(3), 458–474. doi:10.1177/14780771231222783.
- Schneider, J., Kilic, S., & Stockhammer, D. (2024). Empowering clients: Transformation of design processes due to generative AI. arXiv. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2411.15061.
- Tan, L., & Luhrs, M. (2024). Using generative AI Midjourney to enhance divergent and convergent thinking in an architect’s creative design process. The Design Journal. doi:10.1080/14606925.2024.2353479.
- Vaccaro, M., Almaatouq, A., & Malone, T. W. (2024). When combinations of humans and AI are useful: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(12), 2293–2303. doi:10.1038/s41562-024-02024-1.
- Yu, W. F. (2025). AI as a co-creator and a design material: Transforming the design process. Design Studies, 97, 101303. doi:10.1016/j.destud.2025.101303.
- Zhou, J., Li, R., Tang, J., Tang, T., Li, H., Cui, W., & Wu, Y. (2024). Understanding nonlinear collaboration between human and AI agents: A co-design framework for creative design. arXiv. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2401.07312.
Published
2026-06-30
How to Cite
Di Nardo, P. (2026). Intangible space: From the imagination to AI: New forms of design at the intersection of design, architecture and generative systems. AND Journal of Architecture, Cities and Architects, 49(1), 58-71. Retrieved from https://and-architettura.it/index.php/and/article/view/710
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
