Intelligent Building and Building with (Artificial) Intelligence

In the era of digitalization and an increasingly virtual world, the built environment and brick-and-mortar real estate are easily placed among the few tangible things left. Yet, not without reason, the built environment is also being taken over by Artificial Intelligence (AI). While some debate about what role AI could play in this domain has happened in the past, any doubt is now over. Over the last decade, Building Information Modelling (BIM), AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and Construction Tech have been at the forefront of the (technological) developments in the built environment and have redefined the design, construction and operation of buildings and infrastructure. Reducing negative environmental impact, increasing productivity, aiding energy transition, and enabling evidence-based approaches are just a few of the benefits of AI applications demonstrated in research and practice. However, despite the broad agreement that AI is here to stay, the mysticism surrounding the term and its implementations in the built environment still dominates the field.