Innovation by Design

In this episode of Innovation By Design, Angelos Chronis explores the growing role of AI in architecture and urban design.We talk about how neural networks and machine learning can accelerate simulations and expand what is practical to test during design, including daylighting and solar exposure studies.We also dig into generative components and optimization workflows in tools like Grasshopper, including the use of genetic algorithms to search design options.Finally, we touch on how creative AI tools such as Midjourney, along with new text and diagram workflows, are changing how designers ideate and communicate.About the guestAngelos Chronis is an architect and researcher working at the intersection of computation, machine learning, and design, with a focus on using AI-enabled workflows to improve analysis, iteration speed, and environmental performance in architecture and urbanism.Linksinfrared.city websiteinfrared.city team pageAngelos Chronis on LinkedInAngelos on InstagramAngelos on Google ScholarWikipedia: Machine learningWikipedia: Artificial intelligenceWikipedia: Artificial neural networkWikipedia: Generative designScholarpedia: Genetic algorithmWikipedia: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)NASA CFD introWikipedia: Daylighting analysisMidjourneyWikipedia: Generative adversarial network

Jesse Balok, Vice President of Planning, Design and Construction at Henry Ford Health, joins Evan Troxel and Candace Kitchen to unpack Destination: Grand, the system’s historic $2.2 billion expansion of its Detroit campus. Jesse shares how Henry Ford Health is planning a once‑in‑a‑generation build while keeping a 110‑year‑old hospital campus running, and why phasing, decommissioning, and infrastructure renewal must happen alongside forward‑looking innovation.They discuss collaborative project delivery, early stakeholder engagement at scale, and designing for flexibility as care models evolve. Jesse also highlights sustainability initiatives, including a Central Energy Hub targeting an all‑electric hospital by 2030, and the broader community impact of the Future of Health: Detroit vision, including research partnerships, mobility, and neighborhood redevelopment.About the guestJesse Balok is the Vice President of Planning, Design and Construction at Henry Ford Health. Jesse leads major campus planning and delivery efforts, including Destination: Grand, a transformative redevelopment of Henry Ford’s Detroit campus focused on patient experience, staff wellness, logistics modernization, and long‑term adaptability.LinksDestination: Grand / Future of Health: Detroit (overview): https://www.henryford.com/future-of-healthNews release: Henry Ford Health celebrates groundbreaking of Destination: Grand: https://www.henryford.com/news/2024/09/henry-ford-health-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-detroit-hospital-expansion-projectShirley Ryan AbilityLab (rehab partner reference): https://www.sralab.org/Churchill and the Commons Chamber: https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/architecture/palacestructure/churchill/

In this episode, hosts Evan Troxel and Candace Kitchen sit down with David Mans, Director of AECtech at Thornton Tomasetti's CORE studio, to explore the intersection of computational design, community building, and hands-on innovation in AEC.David traces his path from undergraduate architecture at Pratt Institute through early computational design experiments to leading what has become one of the industry's most influential technology conferences. He explains how parametric and computational design opened the door to discovery and surprise in the design process, and how that same spirit of experimentation now drives the AECtech hackathon format.The conversation digs into what actually happens at an AECtech event, from hackathon teams building working prototypes in 24 hours to symposium panels on technology-driven career paths in architecture. David shares standout moments, including the hackathon project that became the foundation for Rhino Compute, and a recent London hack where agents simulated consultant negotiations before a project even started.David also reflects on the tension between automation and reflection, the value of cross-industry thinking, and why Thornton Tomasetti continues to invest in these events as a way to stay ahead of where the industry is headed.Key TopicsHow computational and parametric design introduced the idea of discovery and surprise into the architectural design processThe origin and evolution of AECtech from a single New York hackathon to five global events per yearWhy the hackathon format works: constrained time, self-forming teams, and cross-disciplinary collaborationStandout hackathon projects, including the prototype that became Rhino Compute and an agent-based consultant negotiation toolThe emergence of agentic AI workflows and MCP protocols at recent eventsCareer paths for technologists in AEC and how senior leaders who started in computational design are now shaping firm cultureThe importance of reflection and downtime in an era focused on automation and speedWhat Thornton Tomasetti and CORE studio gain from hosting and participating in these eventsCross-industry inspiration: bringing agile and Kanban workflows from software development into architectural project deliveryAbout the guestDavid Mans is the Director of AECtech at Thornton Tomasetti's CORE studio. David oversees the AECtech conference series, which now runs five events per year across the globe, bringing together professionals from architecture, engineering, construction, software, and AI to explore emerging technologies through hackathons, workshops, and symposiums. David is also the author of over 20 Grasshopper plugins, a Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt Institute, and formerly the Senior Computational Designer at Grimshaw Architects, where David worked on projects including the award-winning Dubai Expo 2020 Sustainability Pavilion, Terra.LinksAECtech: https://www.aectech.us/Thornton Tomasetti CORE studio: https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/core-studioDavid Mans on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mans-a359505/CORE studio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/core-studio-tt