AI and the Built Environment: Is AI the Future of Practice?

According to the 2025 report by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), 59% of practices are now using AI on at least some projects, up from 41% in 2024. From early-stage visualisations and specification writing to compliance checking and project management, AI is becoming embedded in architectural workflows.

At the same time, major developments are unfolding at a national level. In March 2026, Google was awarded a £6.9 million UK government contract to develop an AI tool aimed at accelerating planning decisions—highlighting the growing role of AI in shaping not just design, but policy and process.

This event brings together voices from across architecture, landscape and urban design for a cross-disciplinary panel discussion. Speakers will share real-world experiences of using AI in practice, exploring:

* How AI is currently being deployed across the built environment

* The opportunities and efficiencies it offers

* The limitations, risks, and ethical considerations

* What the future of AI might mean for day-to-day workflows

Speakers include:

Liam Cox | MCAU

Liam is an Urban Designer at MCAU, a multidisciplinary design practice focused on creating sustainable, viable places that inspire and elevate communities.He works at a strategic level during the early stages of the design process, developing place visions, urban strategies, and robust masterplan frameworks. With six years’ experience across architecture and masterplanning projects in England and Scotland, Liam brings a creative yet commercially grounded approach, ensuring early stage design principles are carried through to delivery.He has a particular interest in the application of AI within the master planning process, exploring how it can enhance workflows through advanced visualisation, improved data handling, and more effective testing of feasibility and viability.

James Alexander | Exterior Architecture

James is a Chartered Landscape Architect and AI Lead based in Manchester, currently exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way design practices work. With fifteen years of experience across landscape and urban design, he has spent the past two years leading AI integration at Exterior Architecture: building custom tools, developing governance frameworks, and navigating the cultural and philosophical challenges that come with introducing new technology into a busy studio. He’ll be sharing the view from the ground: what it actually feels like to use AI as a design collaborator, why so many practitioners are quietly uncomfortable about it, and why he thinks the most interesting questions about AI have nothing to do with the tools themselves.

Michael O'Reilly | Zaha Hadid Architects & Manchester School of Architecture

Michael O'Reilly is an Architect, Computational Designer, and Educator with a special interest in applied research and theory in Architecture. Michael is a Senior Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects where he has worked on landmark projects in 7+ countries including the recent Bishoftu International Airport, as well as participating in several industry R&D tech projects. Michael is also a tutor at the Manchester School of Architecture in Atelier CPU which specialises in the development and application of computational techniques and AI processes in Architecture. Bridging these dual roles, Michael has seen how both practice and academia approach the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies such as AI.

Whether you're a student, practitioner, or simply interested in the future of design and technology, this is an opportunity to engage in an open and critical conversation about AI in practice.

We look forward to welcoming you to an engaging and thought-provoking discussion.

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2026

Time: 6:00pm (arrival) | 6:30pm start

Location: Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester

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Host or Publisher Manchester Architects