The Educational Roles of Artificial Intelligence in Architectural Design Studios

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Ali Asgari
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/acmj.2026.604220.1027
Abstract
The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence has introduced new possibilities for form generation, representation, analysis, and feedback in architectural design studios. However, educational applications have largely focused on rapid visual production, while the contribution of AI to design thinking, student agency, and reflective learning remains insufficiently conceptualised. This study develops a framework for explaining the educational roles of AI in architectural design studios. A scoping review and conceptual synthesis were organised using Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and PRISMA-ScR. The analytical corpus comprised 15 intervention or proof-of-concept studies in architectural design education, examined through two-cycle coding. AI role, design stage, cognitive activity, interaction pattern, student agency, teacher mediation, educational outcomes, and risks were extracted. The theoretical and empirical synthesis produced eight roles: generator, representational translator, idea explorer, knowledge analyst and organiser, simulator, cognitive coach and scaffolding agent, critic and evaluator, and cognitive-reflective partner. Generator and idea explorer roles each appeared in 93.3% of the studies. The cognitive-reflective partner appeared in 20%, while no study in the architectural corpus demonstrated a direct critic-evaluator role. Applications concentrated on ideation and concept development (100%) and representation and presentation (86.7%). Students retained final control in 80% of the studies, but no study demonstrated full critical control over the logic and limitations of AI systems. The roles were organised into product-oriented, process-oriented, and cognition-oriented levels. The findings indicate that transforming AI from a form generator into a cognitive partner depends primarily on instructional design, critical student agency, and deliberate teacher mediation. AI supports design learning when generation is connected to questioning, comparison, reasoning, critique, and reflection.
Keywords
Architectural Design Studio, Architectural Education, Cognitive Tools, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Human–AI Collaboration, Student Agency
Subjects
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Art, Culture and Media
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
Autumn 2026
Pages 106-124

  • Receive Date 24 September 2026
  • Revise Date 19 October 2026
  • Accept Date 20 October 2026
  • First Publish Date 20 October 2026
  • Publish Date 23 September 2026