Generativ AI: från hot till möjlighet – AI-drivna affärsmodeller för arkitekter och teknikkonsulter

The future architecture and engineering consultancy sector

Within the project Generative AI From Threat to Opportunity, we have explored AI’s impact on the business model for architects and engineering consultants. The project shows that AI will fundamentally impact not only the business models but also roles, workflows and ultimately the organisation of firms.

So, what will an AI-driven future look like for architecture and engineering consultancy firms? Based on the insights generated within the project, we present below six forward-looking observations that point towards a possible direction for the development in the built environment sector. Some of the observations lie further into the future than others, and some are deliberately sharpened to such an extent that they may never materialise in full. The purpose is not to predict the future, but to highlight trends that we believe will have a significant impact on our industry.

These observations are based on the work carried out within the project and represent a synthesis of insights gathered through workshops, a literature review and interviews. For the full picture, we recommend reading the whole report.

In the future, adaptability will be a key capability

As AI rapidly reshapes processes and roles, professional identity becomes more fluid. Competence becomes perishable and learning a core process. For the individual, this means dynamic roles and workflows, as well as a sustained need for continuous professional development. Crucial attributes will be adaptability and speed of learning – not merely adding new AI skills to existing domain expertise. The rapid pace of development also affects companies. For them, the ability to sense new trends, seize opportunities and reconfigure their organisation will be decisive for survival.

AI will fundamentally change how we create, calculate and capture value

AI is a cognitive tool that can take over many of the tasks that architects and engineering consultants perform today. As the capabilities of these tools increase, delivery and expertise shift from humans to digital tools. The means of production thus move from billed human hours to technological investments, leading to the collapse of the hourly billing model. At the same time, new ways of creating, calculating and capturing value emerge. For example, predictive tools can enable precise value assessments early in the process, and data-driven insight can become a revenue stream in their own right.

In the future, architects and engineering consultants will lead AI teams

As AI tools improve, more tasks – and eventually entire workflows – can be automated. This means that the production-oriented aspects of architects’ and engineering consultants’ work shift towards managing digital tools: setting intentions and requirements, assessing potential, and reviewing quality and risk. The better the tools become, the more human judgement can enhance the results, indicating that humans will remain in the loop for the foreseeable future.

In the future, consultancy firms will also need to be tech companies

As digital tools improve in terms of automation and quality, they also become indispensable for maintaining competitiveness. Domain expertise alone is no longer sufficient; it must be combined with AI and data capabilities. As it becomes easier to develop proprietary tools, company processes can be increasingly tailored. Firms will need domain expertise, technological capability and technological process competence to avoid falling behind. Another possibility is that architects and engineering consultants begin working for technology companies.

Sustainability determines which path we can take

The continued tightening of regulatory requirements and growing consumer demand make sustainability a decisive factor in determining the direction of the built environment sector. A strong economic driver will be banks’ green requirements for favourable loans. AI can accelerate circularity, energy optimisation and predictive maintenance, but it also constitutes an environmental burden due to high energy consumption. In the future, commercially viable offerings will need to demonstrate
verifiable sustainability.

In the future, the built environment sector will have ecosystems built around data flows

For AI in the built environment sector to reach its full potential, data must be collected and follow the entire lifecycle of a building – from planning and design to operation, refurbishment and reuse – and then feed lessons learned into the next building lifecycle. This requires new forms of data collaboration for aggregated datasets and feedback loops. Ecosystems built around data flows will emerge and become central to value creation. Smaller actors benefit from networks and shared platforms, while larger ones may be able to carry more on their own. Companies that follow the entire value chain can realise value created in the design phase once the building is in operation.

In the future, adaptability will be a key capability

As AI rapidly reshapes processes and roles, professional identity becomes more fluid. Competence becomes perishable and learning a core process. For the individual, this means dynamic roles and workflows, as well as a sustained need for continuous professional development. Crucial attributes will be adaptability and speed of learning – not merely adding new AI skills to existing domain expertise. The rapid pace of develop.

Film: Dags att ta tag i resan mot en AI-driven framtid?

Kan AI drivna affärsmodeller förändrar allt? Behovet av att utforska om AI kan utveckla verksamheten och affären är stor hos många aktörer i samhällsbyggandet. Nu får arkitekter och teknikkonsulter skräddarsydd hjälp i form av en affärsguide, som presenteras i filmen!

I filmen möter du:

• Petra Svensson Gleisner, Arkitekt, IHOP. 
• Ivana Kildsgaard, Director of Sustainability, Tengbom
• Fredrik Nystedt, Seniorkonsult i riskhantering, AFRY
• Caroline Bernelius Cronsioe, Brandkonsult, Briab
• Michael Strömgren, programchef, Smart Built Environment, IQ Samhällsbyggnad