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Decolonizing Architecture: AI, Computation, and the Future of Localized Design
Architecture has long been shaped by Eurocentric narratives, from the dominance of Western architectural styles to colonial planning models that continue to influence cities worldwide. These biases extend into contemporary design, often marginalizing local identities, indigenous knowledge, and vernacular traditions. With artificial intelligence (AI), computational design, and data-driven methodologies rapidly transforming the built environment, there is an urgent need to assess whether these technologies will reinforce or dismantle architectural hegemony. AI has the potential to serve as a tool for decolonization by fostering localized, inclusive, and sustainable design practices, shifting digital tools from mechanisms of globalized homogeneity to platforms for cultural empowerment.
Indigenous architectural traditions, shaped by centuries of adaptation and deep ecological understanding, have often been overlooked in mainstream architectural discourse. AI can help integrate and elevate these traditions by learning from indigenous spatial arrangements, passive cooling strategies, and biomimetic design principles. Generative design tools can incorporate handcrafted elements and local construction techniques, ensuring that contemporary architecture does not erase cultural identity but rather builds upon it. Similarly, computational design presents an opportunity to encode traditional motifs, spatial configurations, and historic morphologies into AI-generated models. When thoughtfully guided, these digital tools can act as powerful instruments of cultural storytelling, preserving and evolving heritage rather than erasing it.
One of the significant challenges in AI-driven design is the bias embedded within its training datasets. Since most AI models are trained on predominantly Western architectural data, they often fail to recognize or adequately represent non-Western forms. This perpetuates a cycle where AI-generated designs reinforce existing aesthetic and spatial hierarchies rather than diversifying architectural expression. Overcoming this bias requires actively curating diverse datasets that include non-Western typologies and materials. Furthermore, it is essential to address the ethical implications of AI-driven design, ensuring that indigenous and vernacular architectural elements are not appropriated without proper attribution.
Colonial urban planning models have left lasting legacies of spatial segregation, inequitable land distribution, and environmental degradation. AI and spatial analytics can play a critical role in reimagining cities with a focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and cultural specificity. By identifying and addressing post-colonial spatial injustices, AI can aid in reclaiming and regenerating urban spaces in ways that align with local needs. However, smart city initiatives must be critically examined to ensure that they do not simply impose another layer of technological colonialism but instead integrate indigenous and community-driven planning principles. Digital twin technologies offer additional potential, allowing for the reconstruction and reinterpretation of urban morphologies to reflect more equitable and historically conscious planning approaches.
AI-driven material optimization and digital fabrication provide further opportunities to rethink construction practices in ways that align with local sustainability goals. Traditional building materials and methods, often dismissed in favor of industrialized Western alternatives, can be revived through machine learning applications that optimize their structural and environmental performance. 3D printing, CNC machining, and robotic construction can empower regional material economies, reducing reliance on imported materials and fostering localized innovation. By repositioning AI and digital fabrication as tools for ecological and cultural sustainability, architecture can move away from imposed, unsustainable practices toward more context-driven solutions.
The decolonization of architecture through AI is not solely a technological issue—it is fundamentally about agency and ethical responsibility. The critical question remains: who controls the design process, and who benefits from AI-driven advancements? Ensuring that AI-generated designs include local voices, community participation, and culturally responsive methodologies is crucial to avoiding digital colonialism. Regulatory frameworks must be established to guide the ethical deployment of AI in architecture, ensuring that computational design empowers rather than marginalizes communities.
Ultimately, AI and computational tools are not inherently colonial or decolonial; their impact depends on how they are developed and implemented. This theme envisions a future where AI is not merely a tool for efficiency but a means to critically interrogate, reconstruct, and amplify architectural traditions that have been historically marginalized. By embracing localized intelligence, cultural specificity, and ethical AI deployment, the future of architecture can move beyond inherited biases to create more inclusive, resilient, and contextually rich built environments.
The 13th ASCAAD conference is hosted ON-SITE by the College of Engineering and Advanced Computing, Architecture Division, at Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As one of the leading institutions in the region, Alfaisal University provides an innovative academic environment that bridges architectural research, computational design, and emerging technologies. The College of Engineering and Advanced Computing at Alfaisal University is a leading institution dedicated to engineering, computational sciences, and emerging technologies. It comprises Engineering, Architecture, and Advanced Computing departments, offering programs in Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, and Biomedical Engineering, as well as Architectural Engineering and Architecture, integrating computational design and digital fabrication. The Advanced Computing division focuses on Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and AI, equipping students with cutting-edge skills in machine learning, data science, and digital security. With state-of-the-art facilities, research-driven education, and strong industry collaborations, the college fosters innovation, interdisciplinary learning, and technological advancements to prepare graduates for leadership roles in engineering, architecture, and digital transformation.
topics of interest /
The ASCAAD 2025 conference invites submissions of original research papers to address the following topics including but not limited to:
1. AI & Computational Design in Architecture
2. Digital Fabrication & Construction Technology
3. Decolonizing Architecture & Localized Design
4. Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Graph Machine Learning
5. Urbanism & Smart Cities
6. Architectural Education & Pedagogy
7. Energy & Sustainability in Architecture
8. Decolonizing Architecture & Localized Design
9. Digital Space and Virtual Environments
10. AI in Art & Geometry
11. Research & Industry Collaboration
important dates /
| Call for papers | 03 | March | 2025 | ||
| Deadline for abstract submission | 20 | April | 2025 | ||
| Notification of abstract acceptance | 11 | May | 2025 | ||
| Deadline for full paper submission | 10 | July | 2025 | ||
| Notification of full paper acceptance | 10 | August | 2025 | ||
| Submission of Final Conference Papers | 10 | September | 2025 | ||
| Conference days | 21- 23 October | 2025 | |||
Page last update: 03 March, 2025
