192: ‘Building an AI-First Practice’, with Patrick Chopson and Eric Cesal
A conversation with Patrick Chopson and Eric Cesal exploring the future of architecture through an AI-first lens, discussing the importance of adaptive practices, and redefining workflows to enhance collaboration and creativity in design.
Patrick Chopson and Eric Cesal join the podcast to talk about what an architecture practice could look like if it were designed around AI from day one. We discuss the limits of traditional workflows, how education is falling behind the pace of innovation, and why small, agile teams may be better positioned to lead the industry forward. This conversation goes beyond theory into the real-world application of AI in architectural practice, and what it will take for the profession to adapt.
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Connect with the Guests
- Patrick Chopson
- Eric Cesal
Books and Philosophies
- Eric Cesal’s Down Detour Road
- Amazon Link
- A poignant narrative exploring architecture’s response to crisis and uncertainty, relevant in today’s AI transformation era.
- Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
- Amazon Link
- A critical look at data, power, and the future, resonating with AI’s increasing influence in AEC.
- Nicholas Negroponte’s Being Digital
- Amazon Link
- Examines the digital transition era, offering foundational thinking for AI-first mindsets.
- Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language
- Amazon Link
- A timeless design thinking toolset useful when encoding architectural intent into AI tools.
AI Tools and Emerging Technologies
- Claude by Anthropic
- Anthropic Official Website
- One of the large language models Patrick mentioned using to maintain traceability in design decisions.
- OpenAI (ChatGPT, GPT-4o)
- OpenAI
- Foundation of many architecture-related AI explorations discussed in the episode.
- Cove
- Cove
- AI-powered platform and architecture practice focused on carbon reduction and developer-friendly project delivery.
- GitHub Copilot for AI-Powered Coding
- GitHub Copilot
- Mentioned as transforming coding productivity and workflows, with analogies to architectural production.
Further Reading & Listening
- AIA AI Survey
- Architects are excited about the potential of AI, but concerns abound
- Referenced in the episode as a touchpoint on firm adoption of AI tools and the perception gap.
- Archispeak Podcast
- Archispeak 365 - “Why Architects MUST Reimagine the Profession”, with William Dodge
- Podcast episode about the integration of AI in architecture, its impact on creativity, the evolving role of architects, and the shift towards innovative practices and micro studios, highlighting the future of the profession.
About Patrick Chopson:
Patrick Chopson, AIA, is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Cove Architecture, an AI-powered full-service architecture practice revolutionizing how buildings are imagined, designed, and delivered. By integrating artificial intelligence and simulation into the design process, Patrick leads a bold shift away from conventional design services toward scalable, outcomes-based design excellence.
A licensed architect with over 20 years of experience, Patrick holds a Master’s in High Performance Buildings from Georgia Tech and has deep roots in sustainability, building science, and product innovation. He is the co-author of "Build Like It's the End of the World: A Practical Guide to Decarbonize Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (Wiley, 2025)" — a manifesto for retooling the AEC industry for climate resilience.
Through Cove, Patrick is helping redefine architectural value delivery by fusing data-driven design with AI-powered automation—turning design intent into measurable impact at scale. His work has been featured in Architect Magazine, TechCrunch, Site Selection, ArchDaily, and more. He collaborates closely with real estate developers, policymakers, and technologists to tackle the built environment’s toughest challenges—from embodied carbon to permitting bottlenecks.
Passionate about the intersection of architecture, AI, and planetary limits, Patrick is building not just buildings—but the tools and systems to redesign the future.
About Eric Cesal:
Eric J. Cesal is a designer, educator, writer, and noted post-disaster expert, having led on-the-ground reconstruction programs after the Haiti earthquake, the Great East Japan Tsunami, and Superstorm Sandy. Cesal’s formal training is as an architect, with international development, economics and design futurism among his areas of expertise.
Cesal has been called “Architecture’s First Responder” by The Daily Beast for his work leading Architecture for Humanity’s post-disaster programs from 2010 to 2014. He has been interviewed widely on the subjects of disaster and resilience by publications such as The New Yorker, Architectural Record, Design Intelligence Quarterly, Architect Magazine, Foreign Policy Magazine and Monocle. He has served as a juror for various design awards and frequently lectures globally on disaster reconstruction, climate adaptation, and the future of design.
He has taught and guest-taught on issues of disaster reconstruction, resilience, and sustainable design at several of the world’s leading design schools, including the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Universite Grenoble Aples, and Washington University in St. Louis, and UC Berkeley where he served as the Director of the Sustainable Environmental Design program. Currently, he teaches in the Harvard Global Development Practice program on community-based responses to disaster.
Cesal is also widely known for his first book, “Down Detour Road, An Architect in Search of Practice” (MIT Press, 2010) which sought to connect architecture’s chronic economic misfortunes with its failure to prioritize urgent social issues.
Cesal also served as the longtime Special Projects Director for the Curry Stone Foundation, a U.S. non-profit which seeks to support and empower forward-thinking social impact design. There, he hosted Social Design Insights, a pioneering weekly podcast with the leading voices of the public interest design movement.
Cesal is currently working on several new writing projects at the intersection of design, climate change and artificial intelligence, and serves as a founding member of the Built Environment Futures Council.
Cesal holds a B.A. in Architectural Studies from Brown University, as well as advanced degrees in Architecture, Construction Management, and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. There, he was both a Howard and Joyce Wood Fellow as well as the recipient of the Jerome Sincoff Scholarship.
