Generative design is deeply rooted into Archistar’s DNA. It’s been part and parcel of Archistar’s Generative Design Engine since the early days of the company, and the capability is now available to architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) professionals globally.

For the first time, designers, urban planners, and property developers outside of Australia can access Archistar’s generative design technology through the Archistar 3D Generative Design Add-On integrated with Autodesk Forma.

The free app empowers AECO professionals to create multiple design variations based on site-specific parameters such as zoning, setbacks, building heights, and environmental constraints. It eliminates time-consuming manual massing and early feasibility modeling. It also ensures projects are realistic and city-compliant. And above all, it allows architects and developers to explore more creative options faster.

Meanwhile, the app can help designers tackle challenging landscapes and terrains with precision. And combined with the power of Forma, it reveals insights from sunlight, wind, and noise parameters to create better and more adaptive projects.

With the integration, architects can seamlessly transfer Archistar-generated designs into Forma for creative exploration, design refinement, and advanced analysis. From there, they can synch Forma with Autodesk Revit for detailed documentation.

In 2010, CEO Dr. Benjamin Coorey founded Archistar as an education portal, Archistar Academy, to train students and design firms in generative design for architecture. In 2014, Dr. Coorey earned his PhD in Architecture, specializing in generative parametric performance design systems.

Inspired by the possibilities of this new technology, Dr. Coorey set out to build an entire generative design platform to streamline property development—one that reads planning rules, runs feasibility tests, and generates thousands of compliant designs in minutes.

In 2018, proptech company Archistar.ai launched to serve Australian architects, developers, and governments to help them make better informed, faster, and more compliant property decisions.

“We built Archistar to focus on generative design,” Dr. Coorey says. “What’s the highest and best use of it? What can you build, and can you generate options quickly to unlock the potential of a property?”

Then, in 2023, Archistar launched its eCheck platform in the US and Canada to help cities speed up permitting approvals with AI-powered technology that checks against planning and building codes. Since then, Archistar has partnered with the cities of Los Angeles, CA; Austin, TX; Vancouver, BC; and more than 25 other cities across Australia, Canada, and the US.

Now that Archistar generative design capabilities are integrated with Autodesk Forma, the world can experience what Australia already knows about Archistar’s technology.

With Archistar’s property platform in Australia, designers and developers can choose a property, investigate and understand the zoning, generate building options, and get answers about what’s feasible quickly.

“Without having to go out and spend a few weeks on a design, you can get that answer instantly and explore what good design looks like,” Dr. Coorey says. “For example, you can create design ideas that perform better because they’ve got better sunlight access, ventilation, and privacy spacing.”

Finally, architects and developers are getting a taste of the generative design technology outside of Australia. “What I’m excited about is that we integrated the generator into Forma,” Dr. Coorey says. “You can generate precinct multisite projects, so you can start to work on mixed-use elements, where you have different uses and can bake it into Forma. And then you can edit it, tweak it, and run analysis on it. It’s the generator and human element coming together.

With the 3D Generative Design Add-On integration, designers and developers can:

• Generate building massing options inside Autodesk Forma via the Archistar extension.
• Define site limits and instantly create multiple generative design options.
• Apply templates (apartments, mixed-use, commercial) for rapid iteration.
• Explore, refine, and lock in designs using Forma’s 3D environment.
• Publish finalized options as Forma buildings for further editing or analysis.
• Seamlessly transition designs into Autodesk Revit for detailed documentation.

The app will be put to the test at this year’s Autodesk University AECO Design Slam on September 16. The event will challenge two design teams to reimagine Nashville, TN’s Gulch District using Forma, Archistar, and Finch generative design tools in front of a live audience.

See Archistar’s 3D Generative Design Add-On in action, and get the free app here.