Hi there,
This week we go deep on the gaps in the architecture technology stack - from the tools that barely exist at Stage 6 and 7, to the practices stacking software without strategy. We look at why AI isn't the starting point, what a layered operating model actually looks like, and the hard data showing that 66% of firms are paying more for software but not getting better outcomes.
Plus: a featured platform consolidating AI image and video generation, five tools added to the ConTech Database, and a live London event you won't want to miss.
Let’s get into it. 👇
What Sparked the Most Discussion This Week
1. The Architect's Digital Toolbox - 20 categories · 8 work stages · the gaps exposed.
Click here to read the full post: LinkedIn.
2. 66% of firms are paying more for software. So why aren’t projects getting better?.
Click here to see the full post: LinkedIn
3. Most architecture practices think AI is the solution. It's the wrong place to start. Here's my framework.
Click here to see the full post: LinkedIn
Theme of the Week: The Stack Problem - Too Many Tools, Not Enough Architecture
Three posts. One clear signal. The industry is building on unstable ground.
The digital toolbox for architects is overloaded at the front end of the RIBA process and almost empty at the back. Meanwhile, practices are stacking software without strategy - no documented workflows, no integration plan, no one who owns the digital operating model.
The data is stark: 66% of firms are paying more for technology. Rework is rising. Outcomes aren't improving. And the most common response is to buy another tool.
The practices making real progress are doing the opposite. They're mapping their operating model before touching their tech stack. They're building Layers 1 and 2 - data and workflows - before they even ask what AI can do for them.
This week's posts make the case clearly: AI is an amplifier, not a fix. If the foundation is broken, it just amplifies the chaos.
The conversation is shifting from "what tools should we use?" to "how should we actually work?" That's the right question. Finally.
Featured Product
If you're currently juggling separate subscriptions for image generation, video creation, upscaling, and editing - RunDiffusion is worth a look.
It consolidates access to the leading AI image and video models (Flux 2, Veo 3, Kling, Sora 2, Stable Diffusion and more) into a single licensed workspace. For architecture specifically, it includes a dedicated Sketch to Render tool, style transfer capabilities, and a Flux Trainer for custom model fine-tuning.
The platform also supports team collaboration with shared workflows, models, and media assets - with enterprise-grade governance and permission controls built in.
For practices experimenting with AI visualisation across early-stage concept work, mood boarding and presentation imagery, it removes the friction of managing multiple tools and accounts.
Worth exploring if visual AI output is part of your current or planned workflow.
Catch up on our Workflow Webinars!
Architecture firms are sitting on decades of knowledge - yet most of it disappears between projects. This special session marks the launch of the new industry white paper:
“The Knowledge Cliff: Why Architecture Companies Are Losing Expertise.”
As senior experts retire, teams become more distributed, and project timelines accelerate, architecture practices face a growing knowledge continuity crisis. Design decisions, detailing expertise, and constructability insight are often trapped inside project files, emails, and individual memory.
Live Event: Constructech x ConTech Is... "A World of Disconnection"
Thursday 28 May | 6:00pm – 8:30pm @ Laminar Projects, London
Two of London's construction tech communities are joining forces for one evening. Constructech and ConTech Is... are co-hosting an event focused on one of the most persistent problems in the built environment: the tools are multiplying, but they're not connecting.
I'll be delivering the interactive talk - exploring how architecture and construction practices can move from software accumulation to deliberate digital strategy.
The agenda:
6:00pm – Networking
6:45pm – Interactive Talk
7:45pm – Networking
8:30pm – Post-event drinks
Come if you can - it's the conversation this industry needs to have. Limited numbers - register here: https://luma.com/nw6nacnm
5 Tools Added to the ConTech Database This Week
Elisi - Automatic Floor Plan Generator
A free, web and mobile-friendly app for early-stage single-family housing design. Translates spatial requirements into floor plan options using generative methods. Features a guided wizard-style workflow and plot analysis tools for rapid layout exploration.
Mountup - AI Compliance Intelligence
Structured compliance evidence from brief to handover, built for Principal Designers, Architects, Project Managers and Contractors. Approach declarations with traceable, structured evidence you can trust across the full project lifecycle.
Runchat - Design Agent & Visual Canvas
A generative design agent that brings AI-powered workflow automation to Rhino, SketchUp, Revit and Blender. Enables designers to create custom tools to accelerate design, visualisation, 3D modelling and research tasks.
ArchiBoost - AI Code Compliance & QA
The intelligence layer for the built environment. AI-powered code compliance, knowledge hub and QA/QC reviews for AEC teams. Evaluates project conditions to determine applicable requirements — with full citations and 60-second average response times.
Adema - AI-Powered Real Estate Platform
An end-to-end platform for real estate investors and operators. Source, analyse and execute deals in one AI-powered workflow. A platform that grows with your portfolio and process.
One Role Worth Noticing This Week
We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Computational Designer to join our growing Global Digital team. You will be part of a dedicated team of computational and digital experts, working on industry leading systems, workflows, tools, and products. In this role, you will:
Collaborate with project teams across the company, applying computational techniques and methods to solve design challenges and enhance workflows.
Contribute to the development of tools and systems for internal and external use, gaining valuable experience in a range of platforms and programming languages.
This role requires a very good level of proficiency with computational tools, along with a strong interest in programming (C# & Python). Knowledge of web development tools and frameworks is a bonus.
→ View role: Here
See all roles here: www.aectechjobs.com/search
If you lead an architecture practice - or you're responsible for how one operates - this week's content points to three things worth sitting with.
First, the gap is structural. The RIBA Stage 6 and 7 void in the software market isn't an accident. It reflects where vendor investment has gone and it means your practice is almost certainly managing the back half of every project with workarounds. That's a risk surface, not a workflow.
Second, the layer you skip is the one that matters most. The practices getting meaningful value from AI didn't start with AI. They started with data hygiene, documented workflows and tool rationalisation. If you can't describe how a project actually runs from brief to handover, adding a fifth platform won't help.
Third, compliance and QA are becoming automatable. Two of this week's database additions (Mountup and ArchiBoost) are directly targeting the liability-heavy, time-consuming work of compliance checking and structured evidence. These aren't novelty tools - they're addressing real pain points at the stages where risk is highest.
The technology is ahead of most practice operating models right now. The opportunity isn't in finding the next tool. It's in building the foundations that make any tool work properly.
This newsletter exists to help architects navigate technology with confidence, not hype by focusing on workflows, decisions, and real practice constraints.
Thanks for reading!
Allister
Richard says hi!
