Artisanal craftsmanship vs AI? The future of architecture may just lie somewhere in the middle

Virtual reality has further impacted her work in recent years, transforming how the team engages with clients to offer immersive experiences. As Hardy puts it: “These technologies help to bridge the gap between the conceptual and the tangible.”

Converging with these advanced technologies is a rich scope of architectural tradition and artisanal craft. Alongside his appreciation for particular design tools, Tan continues to work with locally available materials and skills, as well as “time-tested low-tech knowledge”. He shares that looking beyond the newest material innovations and construction technologies to implement some of these low-tech solutions can both lower costs and support ease of maintenance and durability.

Goy’s firm is renowned for exploring “regional materialities”, often working with banana fibres, rattan, terracotta clay and even mulberry bark. “It’s something special to celebrate the mark of the maker and to promote our regional capability,” she shares. “We see craft as culture, which helps us understand humanity as a whole.”

She is furthermore drawn to the heart of low-tech architecture: implementing simple, affordable solutions to address contemporary problems. This includes “harnessing passive natural phenomena or materials to aid the comforts of the interior space” such as natural ventilation, the use of terracotta for “evaporative cooling”, or simply “understanding the local environment and addressing its specific needs”.

Well-acquainted with hands-on craftsmanship through her bamboo works, Hardy points out that, sometimes, introducing modern techniques can actively assist with the preservation of low-tech design practices and natural materials. “The craftsmen’s ability to embrace these innovations while maintaining the integrity of their traditional skills is remarkable,” she tells us. “This adaptability has allowed us to push the boundaries of what’s possible with bamboo, creating structures that are both innovative and deeply connected to their cultural roots.”

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Indeed, striking a balance and allowing modernity and heritage to meet in the middle has led many architects and designers to produce some incredible works. Simply using design software to trigger simulations can go a long way to “help craftsmen to better visualise their projects and address important connections and details”, according to Tan.

One of the most remarkable creations to spring out of this nuanced design philosophy is perhaps Goy’s historic renovation of the Danish Seamen’s Church on Pender Road, executed alongside a conservation specialist. “We used various types of equipment to document and analyse the existing historical building’s damage over the years,” she explains.

“One such type of equipment was a 3D laser scanner that helps to document precisely the existing state of the building. Another tool we used was a timber resistograph, which assesses the extent of the deterioration of the timber and the density of the wood so that appropriate repairs, rather than replacement, can be made to the timber structure.” Infrared thermography was another useful technology in her lineup, which allowed the team to check for trapped moisture in the building.

To Goy and her team, the key to implementing new technologies in any project is, ultimately, an intentional and thoughtful approach. “In our practice, the intention of resolving a problem comes before any high-tech tools or techniques; we use these tools to serve our design intent and the project, rather than for the sake of showcasing the latest technology.”

Similarly, Hardy’s designs take advantage of 3D scanning technology to capture the natural curves and unique characteristics of bamboo. “This tool has great potential to ensure that every element fits seamlessly into the overall design, marrying the precision of digital tools with the authenticity of handcrafted materials,” she explains. “Parametric design tools further allow us to explore complex geometries that complement traditional joinery techniques, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with bamboo construction while staying true to its artisanal roots.”

Hardy and her team are currently in the final stages of completing an extraordinary home that exemplifies their approach to integrating low as well as high-tech methods to great effect. “It features sophisticated bamboo grid-shell structures combined with glue-laminated curved beams, curved glass, and load-bearing wood walls and floors,” Hardy reveals. “This project showcases how we use advanced techniques to elevate the impact of natural materials, creating homes that are as functional as they are beautiful.”

Low-tech design is often touted as being particularly eco-friendly, but new and innovative materials can go hand in hand with natural materials to boost sustainability. Architects at the forefront of environmentally friendly design actively look out for “advancements in materials that are better alternatives for health and the environment, such as low-formaldehyde plywood and paint,” Goy says. “As construction is an industry that is energy-intensive and, to an extent, pollutive, we try our best to minimise its impact.”

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This can be observed in one of Goy Architects’ residential projects, Heng House, crafted using reclaimed windows sourced from Yogyakarta. “We had to reverse-engineer the design using available window sizes, minimising additional waste,” Goy shares. “In a different project, a client had a stockpile of existing reclaimed timber, catalogued by width, height and length. We had to make sense of the data to optimise the use of timber. To do that, we used Grasshopper—a programming language—to visualise the existing materials and match the timber required for our proposed design, reducing waste.”

Besides established design software and programming languages, new construction methods and technologies can go a long way to reducing the carbon footprint of a project as well, including, as Goy suggests, prefabrication systems as well as solar energy.

Looking ahead to the future of the built environment, Goy envisions the evolution of craftsmanship as a blend of hands-on skill and emerging technology. “Traditional craftsmanship is a language of its own, with a unique vocabulary and syntax. Technology is another language altogether,” she muses. “I see myself as a translator, with the agency to bridge the gap between the two languages.”

Besides reducing the carbon footprint of construction and design projects, Goy also believes that incorporating reclaimed materials and local artisanship could lead to the revival of overlooked vernacular techniques to infuse architecture with authenticity and character.

Enhanced collaboration between architects and artisans stands to further enrich the regional and even global design landscape. This prediction is echoed by Tan, who sees the potential for high-tech tools to elevate traditional crafts and fuse the functional with the artistic.

Hardy adds: “The future of craftsmanship is about honouring and bringing the best of the past into the future. While digital tools offer incredible precision and opportunities for creativity, the essence of craftsmanship—the human touch and the connection to materials—must remain central. By carefully integrating these elements, we can design spaces that are not only functional but also deeply meaningful and reflective of our collective cultural heritage.”

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