George and Ismail from Gendo explore why AI still feels broken inside architectural practice, despite its huge promise. Drawing on George’s background across architecture and visualisation, and Ismail’s transition from Foster + Partners to Gendo, the talk looks at the gap between what AI can technically do and what is actually usable in day-to-day design work. They argue that today’s tools are still too technical, too fragmented, and too isolated from the collaborative nature of architectural practice.

The session highlights the frustrations many designers face: prompt engineering, endless model selection, technical setup, generic outputs, and workflows that pull attention away from design itself. In response, they present Gendo as a browser-based, design-focused platform built to make AI more accessible, collaborative, and useful for architects. Rather than centring the experience around models, credits, or engineering workflows, Gendo is framed as a creative design partner that helps teams iterate visually, make better decisions, and keep the focus on architecture.