Bo Westerlinck is a Senior Design Architect at 3XN/GXN Architects with a strong focus on design quality, conceptual development and digital innovation She has contributed to various project typologies worldwide, with a key role in commercial high-rise developments such as 60 Gracechurch Street and 2 Finsbury Avenue in London, as well as the UBC Lower Mall Student Housing Masterplan in Vancouver. 

She specializes in integrating machine learning and AI into a systematic design process. Her master’s thesis, Architectural Intelligence: From Pattern Language(s) to Parametricism Towards Artificial Intelligence, explored how these systematic design processes can be enhanced and supported by emerging technologies.

As a member of 3XN’s Design Technology & Research group, Bo has been actively researching and integrating ML and AI into architectural workflows in practice for several years, including hosting internal knowledge-sharing sessions on their practical applications within 3XN. Her focus is on streamlining workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and improving decision-making. She is excited to continue exploring and developing AI-driven solutions that optimize project delivery—allowing architects to spend more time on design.

Bo Westerlinck

We caught up with Bo in January 2025, after she completed our program on AI, Machine Learning, & The Built Environment to hear her perspective on applications of machine learning and AI in architectural practice.

This program is uniquely tailored towards individuals working in fields such as architecture to interact and explore issues around AI and machine learning in their work. How was your experience with the live, small-cohort classroom?

The course provided a very comprehensive overview of AI and Machine Learning, focusing on their applications in Architecture, Urbanism, and Real Estate. We delved into topics like data acquisition, biases, prompt engineering, and practical use cases such as property valuation, floorplan generation, and listing automation.

“The live, small-cohort format fostered meaningful discussions and collaborations.”

Engaging with peers from diverse professional backgrounds enriched the experience, and the interactive format allowed me to connect the course material directly to real-world challenges. “

I left inspired to continue exploring how these technologies can inform design processes, enable more informed decisions, and optimize repetitive tasks—ultimately leaving more time for creative design work.

When signing up for the program, you had noted an “interest in leveraging design technology to streamline workflows, optimize project delivery, and enhance creativity in design”. How did this program ultimately support this interest?

The program provided a strong foundation in the distinctions between AI and machine learning, covering key principles of each and how they can be applied to solve different types of problems. It explored how various AI and ML techniques can be strategically combined to achieve the most accurate outcomes. This knowledge has directly supported my interest in leveraging these technologies to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and improve decision-making in design.

“By understanding which technology is best suited for which challenge, I am now better equipped to apply and combine ML and AI for more complex problems and workflows. “

This with a focus on leveraging design technology to streamline our workflow, optimize project delivery and enhancing creativity in design.

You also noted that your “master’s thesis “Architectural Intelligence: From Pattern Language(s) to Parametricism Towards Artificial Intelligence,” explored how systematic design processes can influence and enhance the architectural design processes”. Given your academic background, professional experience, and learnings in this program, where do you believe AI will have the greatest impact on architecture in the next five years?

I think that AI and ML could make the biggest impact in optimizing mundane and repetitive tasks—such as automating technical documentation or running early-stage simulations of a multitude of massing iterations —allowing architects to focus on the creative aspects of design. In general, I believe architects provide the most value at the beginning of a project, synthesizing parameters like site constraints, the surrounding context, the client brief, and the needs of the future users into a comprehensive design concept or pattern. This pattern is a very graphic and flexible medium which can be adapted to various contexts, programs and uses.

“I personally don’t really understand why we would want to automate/give away the most creative and fun part of our profession. I see AI more like a design assistant, allowing architects to retain ownership of concept development to create unique, context-specific designs of high design quality. “

This builds on my thesis, ‘Architectural Intelligence: From Pattern Language(s) to Parametricism Towards Artificial Intelligence,’ where I explored systematic design processes and how they could be supported by various technologies, having this systematic mindset from the beginning is key for this. At 3XN/GXN Architects, I am now applying these ideas to practice, bridging design and technology to optimize workflows and enhance creative problem-solving. This approach is inspired by Christopher’s Alexander’s work, Cedric Price’s philosophy and Stanislas Chaillou’s research, emphasizing AI’s role as a collaborative tool for architects, not as a replacement for creativity.