Architect Uses AI to Create Utopia Where Buildings Grow and Breathe

AI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas Bhatia

Intrigued by the way that ants and other insects use nature to build their homes, Indian architectural designer Manas Bhatia used artificial intelligence (AI) to explore what would happen if humans created houses that could grow and breathe. The result is a series of architectural concepts called Symbiotic Architecture, where homes stretch into the sky and natural patterns drive the design.

Bhatia took some of the most pleasant human interactions with nature, like reading a newspaper under a tree or observing colorful leaves in the park, and used them to develop a utopian future. In Bhatia's vision, buildings aren't formed from manmade concrete and steel, but rather, are living forms that grow. He likens the work to a hollowed-out Hyperion tree filled with apartments and a central atrium that is flooded with light.

Using Midjourney to give a visual to his concept, he typed in prompts like “giant,” ”hollowed,” ”tree,” “stairs,” “facade,” and ”plants.” He even asked the program more conceptual questions like “Can structures grow?” and “Can the envelope in which we live breathe as creatures do?” From there, he went through several iterations and refined his prompts until arriving at imagery he was satisfied with. His ability to do all this in a relatively short time is part of what Bhatia finds useful about AI.

“Even before sketching something or putting anything to paper, a designer or artist comes up with an idea or thought,” Bhatia tells My Modern Met. “With AI we can directly convert that thought or idea into a tangible outcome. That certainly solves the problem of ‘thought-to-execution' delay experienced by many creatives.”

Bhatia's Symbiotic Architecture presents a sort of fairy tale that many people would be happy to live in. The buildings are, in some ways, adult treehouses where the natural world is at the forefront.  In using AI technology as a tool, Bhatia was able to push the boundaries of his creativity and share the results with the world so that we join him in this fantasy world.

Inspired by the concept of buildings that grow, architectural designer Manas Bhatia used AI technology to bring his idea to life.

AI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas BhatiaArchitecture Concept Created in MidJourneyArchitecture Concept Created in MidJourney

Symbiotic Architecture is a series of images resulting from his conceptual inquiries and visual prompts.

Manas Bhatia Concept ArchitectureManas Bhatia Concept ArchitectureAI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas Bhatia

For him, AI is a useful way to give a quick visual to an idea.

Architecture Concept Created in MidJourneyAI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas BhatiaAI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas Bhatia

In this case, Bhatia was even able to create AI “drawings” of this future utopia.

AI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas BhatiaAI x Symbiotic architecture by Manas Bhatia

“I hope creative professionals realize how much potential AI has in their domains and that they can harness the power of technology to push their boundaries.”

Architecture Concept Created in MidJourneyManas Bhatia Concept ArchitectureManas Bhatia Concept Architecture

Manas Bhatia: Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Manas Bhatia.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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