AECM Synthesis Project

In this course, MSAECM students apply the diverse knowledge and skills they have acquired during the program to a critical public interest issue related to Pittsburgh’s built environment. In the fall of 2024, the course builds upon the research of prior years on deconstruction (2021), circularity (2022), and adaptive reuse (2023) by focusing on the potential implications of using AI to design, construct and maintain affordable and low-carbon housing. During the first few weeks, students learn about recent advances in AI through readings and discussions with experts near and far. We then discuss basic research skills and methods. From this knowledge, students formulate a coordinated research project by working in teams of three or four. Investigations may include multiple AECM modes of inquiry including, but not limited to, deep case studies, expert interviews, GIS story maps, energy modeling analyses, carbon footprint calculations, life cycle assessments, AR/VR visualizations, LiDAR scanning and photometrics, BIM integration, real estate analyses, feasibility studies and/or other modes. Findings are presented to a panel of stakeholders and distilled into a collective report.