Examining The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Climate Resilience: Applications For Architectural Technologists In Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

There is no gainsaying the role architectural technologists play in determining the nexus between technology and architecture. This intricately specialized role which incorporates the entire lifespan of buildings ensures that buildings remain cost-effective, well-organized and functional. However, the plethora of challenges confronting the Nigerian milieu, which include overwhelming housing deficits, rapid slum purlieus that results in inordinate waste generations, and overall indiscriminate land-use patterns collectively pose a bane to the architectural technologists’ practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of preparedness to tackle issues of decarbonisation and potential challenges for implementation of climatic-resilient architecture. The aim is to ensure that adopting advanced technology leads to providing design and construction solutions that promote climate resilience peculiar to the Nigerian built environment. Survey research method was adopted; wherein structured questionnaires were used to capture quantitative description of developments, and assessments of two (2) research populations, comprising the schools and registered architectural firms. 63 architectural firms and 4 schools offering architectural technology programmes were randomly selected within the zone. The study revealed over 68% of students have not received any formal training in AI, 79% of technologists work in sync with AI using predominantly ChatGPT. This paper recommends that departments and stakeholders engage in proactive co-creation of a systemic framework to reflect the new specialisms of architectural technology and provide the requisite skills required to navigate the challenging work environment and demands characteristic of study area. This should embrace robust application of AI for climate-resilient architecture.