A panel discussion on AI and architecture presented as part of the 2026 Aotearoa Festival of Architecture.

Architects are now entering another round of adaptation. Before, it was pencil to CAD. Now it's AI's turn.

Convened by Brendan Murphy, this panel moves the conversation from replacement to reinvention, of the tools we build, and of what training the next generation looks like. Murphy introduces the premise: 'Documentation, our biggest income driver, is also the part of practice most ready for automation. Entry-level roles, where interns learn judgement, are shifting fastest of all. We'll talk about what's already happening in practice and education, and what it means for architecture's future. The conversation around adoption is over. The one about what we do next is just getting started.'

Your speakers joining Brendan are Dr Anthony Brand, Alisdair Hood and Bill McKay.

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Brendan Murphy is a Master's student at the University of Auckland School of Architecture, and works as an intern whose role involves researching AI platforms and developing integrable workflows. Through an interview series, he's spent the past year exploring how AI is shaping practice now in Aotearoa, where future opportunities lie, and the graduate's evolving role.

Dr Anthony Brand is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, specialising in architectural history, theory and criticism. His roles include co-chair of the Faculty of Engineering and Design's AI Teaching and Learning sub-committee, AI advisor for the School of Architecture, Planning and Design, and has run design studios and elective seminars exploring the opportunities and limitations of AI in architecture. His research on embodiment and situated cognition — how environments shape the way we think and feel — was developed in Touching Architecture (Routledge, 2023), which now underpins his approach to what AI changes about learning.

Alasdair Hood is Head of Design at Context Architects NZ, with over 25 years shaping design across some of New Zealand's most prominent studios. His role has recently expanded to include AI integration within practice, with a human-centric focus on how people actually interact with the tools, not just what the tools can do.

Bill McKay is a lecturer at the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture,  Planning and Design where he teaches project and practice management as well as design, so has a deep interest in how AI will affect the profession. He is also a frequent media commentator and writer on architectural and urban issues with his own regular slot on Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon.

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This event is presented in partnership between Objectspace and Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Auckland Branch, as part of the 2026 Aotearoa Festival of Architecture.