S6E3 - Functional AI For 3D Design Automation — From Path Finding To Generative Modeling For Building Construction

Most 3D generative AI has been built to produce things that look right. Hao (Richard) Zhang argues that for the built environment, that is the wrong objective. Buildings must function — and that means AI systems need to reason about spatial relationships, load paths, equipment routing, and regulatory constraints, not just geometry.

In this episode recorded at CDFAM Barcelona 2026, Richard introduces Functional AI as a framework for 3D design automation and walks through Augmenta’s work applying it to real building projects. The technical scope covers agentic AI for MEP path finding, generative modeling of complex stru...