How Obayashi Corporation’s AiCorb Uses AI to Rapidly Generate Building Facade Designs and Streamline Architectural Workflows

By: GoBeyond Team

July 3, 2025

3 min read

AiCorb AI-generated building facade designs and 3D BIM models

Quick Overview

Obayashi Corporation developed AiCorb, an AI-powered design tool in collaboration with SRI International and Hypar, that rapidly generates multiple building facade designs from hand-sketched drawings and 3D models. AiCorb converts these designs into 3D models integrated with BIM platforms, enabling architects to optimize design iterations, improve site planning, and accelerate consensus-building with clients.

Obayashi Corporation

Company Size

~30,000 employees

Revenue Range

$15B+ annual revenue

Primary Challenge

Reducing time and cost in early-stage architectural design while expanding creative exploration

Key Metrics

\- Generated ~1,000 facade design images to date\- Significantly reduced design iteration time\- Improved client consensus-building efficiency\- Integrated with Hypar for 3D BIM modeling

The Problem

Early design stages are time-consuming with limited ability to rapidly explore multiple facade options and visualize them in 3D

The Solution

Developed two AI models: one generating numerous facade proposals from sketches and 3D outlines, another converting designs and real facade images into 3D models on Hypar platform; integrates geospatial and environmental data for site planning

Results

\- Faster, more accurate design iterations\- Reduced design phase time and costs\- Enhanced architectural creativity and client engagement\- Streamlined integration from volumetric to detailed facade design

“AiCorb provides inspiration by generating facade design candidates not only as images but also as 3D models, combining architecture and computer science expertise.”

Takuma Nakabayashi, AI Researcher, Obayashi Corporation

Details

Industry

Construction

Departments

Creative & Design

Product Development & Innovation

Use Cases

Graphic Design

Feature Planning

Tags

GenAI

Computer Vision

Time-Saving

Enhanced Decision-Making

AI Tools Used

No items found.

Sources

https://www.obayashi.co.jp/en/news/detail/news20220322_1_en.htmlhttps://www.sri.com/press/story/sri-researchers-bring-ai-to-the-architectural-design-process/https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/AiCorb-Tackling-the-Designers-Dilemma-and-Risks-with-AI-Powered-Rapid-Prototyping-2024https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-future-convergence-csr-ai-construction-marek-r--efu7fhttps://baoxaydung.com.vn/japanese-construction-company-obayashi-corporation-introduces-ai-design-tool-for-enhanced-efficiency-366609.htmlhttps://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/OBAYASHI-CORPORATION-6491204/news/Obayashi-Development-of-AiCorb-to-streamline-the-early-stages-of-architectural-design-39833076/