Architectural Intelligence : Beyond Design

Course By

Tho-Phuoc Ngu

Architect & AI Consultant

You’ve seen the rise of AI tools in architecture—colleagues sharing concept images, animations, and client-ready visuals generated in minutes. But where do you start? If you’ve felt left behind or overwhelmed by the pace of change, this course is your entry point into the future of architectural design.

In this future course, you’ll go from sketch to finished visual assets—learning how to generate, control, and refine images, diagrams, and even videos using ComfyUI and open-source generative tools. You’ll get step-by-step guidance to install and run workflows locally or online, even if you don’t have a powerful GPU. Discover how to sketch with AI, fine-tune materials, lighting, and structure, and adapt outputs to your daily tools like Revit, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, or 3DS Max. Learn how to upscale your visuals, produce animations for free, and build a practical AI workflow that enhances—not replaces—your creativity.

This course isn’t about hype. It’s about giving architects the confidence and tools to work smarter, stay relevant, and lead the transformation of our field.

Course Details

Week 1 – Introduction to technologies : Foundations & Setup

1. Understanding the Ecosystem

What AI can (and can’t) do for creatives
Key tools compared: MidJourney, ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, etc.
Choosing the right tool for your need (image, video, text, code)

2. Installation & Setup

Install ComfyUI locally (for GPU users) or use online platforms (for non-GPU setups)
Quick overview of Hugging Face, Colab, and browser-based platforms
How to access free models and workflows

3. First AI-Generated Sketch

Write your first prompt
Explore image generation from text using Stable Diffusion

Week 2 – Design with Precision: Control All Elements of Your Image

1. Structured Design with AI

Use ControlNet: apply sketches, depth maps, canny edges to guide your image
Draw or export a basic sketch from SketchUp or hand-draw, and control the AI output

2. Mastering Composition & Style

Control materials, scale, proportions
Adjust light direction, mood, time of day, and style
Understanding tiling, texture, and perspective in a spatial context

3. Style-Matching & Consistency

Generate consistent outputs from different angles or iterations
Use reference image control (IPAdapter, Flux Redux, image2image)

Week 3 – Real-World Integration & Post-Production

1. Bring It into Your Workflow

How to overlay generated visuals on CAD drawings or SketchUp/3DS/Archicad screenshots
Exporting diagrams and massing views
Create client-facing moodboards or exploded views

2. Post-Production for Architects

Upscale with free tools (Real-ESRGAN, Topaz alternatives)
Basic Photoshop or Photopea post-production for detail work
Matching AI images with branding or drawing styles

3. Deliverables & Presentation

Framing visuals for clients, competitions, and team discussions
Creating printable and screen-optimized outputs

Week 4 – Bring It to Life: Video Animation & Advanced Tools

1. Video Generation Tools Overview

Online tools: RunwayML, Luma AI, Kling, Pika
Local tools: LTX, Hunyuan, WaN 2.1, how they work, what they need

2. Storyboarding with AI

Turn a series of prompts/images into an evolving animation
Morph between camera angles or stages of a project
Match transitions and keep consistency

3. Exporting & Final Polish

Tips for adding sound, voice, or motion overlays
Editing with CapCut, Premiere Pro, or free browser tools
Preparing your video for portfolio or presentation

Your Instructor

Tho-Phuoc Ngu

Architect & Gen AI Consultant

Tho-Phuoc NGU is a former federal architect turned AI consultant, currently working as Product Owner of Arcana Academy. After 7 years serving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leading international embassy projects, he shifted toward technology, blending his diverse skills in design, technologies, and generative AI.

As self-taught developer and strong communicator, he also built two Educational YouTube channels (Music & Generative AI). Building the academy was a natural step in his mission to make innovation more accessible through practical, real-world learning.