The Conflict of Architectural Intelligence: Towards an Integrated Profile of Intelligent Architecture

Intelligent Architecture (IA), initiating pressure on architects to

build Intelligent Buildings (IBs) despite there was no standard

definition of IBs. In the 1990s, the shift into the informational

mode became one of the most important transformations of

contemporary life placing new demands on architecture before

it can be termed 'intelligent'. With the rise of global hazards, the

impact of architecture on the global environment became a

matter of concern, the fact that promoted the concept of IA to

contribute to the environmental quality and hazards prevention,

opening the door for architectural intelligence in a broader

context. The convergence of and the conflict between IA

conceptions, together with the wide use of the term as a title,

make the need to be explicit about the concept crucial,

highlighting the demand for an Integrated Profile of Intelligent

Architecture (IPIA).

To achieve the intended profile, the paper first traces the wide

range of IA related definitions, proposals and viewpoints, to be

categorized according to their shared attributes into three broad

perspectives. To better understand the implications of the three

perspectives, the offered opportunities and the imposed

challenges are briefly introduced. Further, alternatives of

integrating the three perspectives of IA within one profile are

explored, highlighting the appropriateness for the local context

and the varying standards. Through exploring and

comparatively analyzing the alternatives, the ground, on which

the demanded IPIA can be built, is gained.