Embracing Artificial Intelligence in Landscape Architecture

“We jumped in with both feet in 2025.”

Bill Odle, ASLA, discusses the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) at TBG Partners, a Texas-based firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban design, and planning, where he serves as president.

“In all our AI initiatives, the main goal is to enhance our teams and optimize our workflows,” Odle explains. This strategy enables designers to dedicate more time to creative tasks and foster relationships. “The people at TBG are creatives who seek to innovate. Utilizing AI effectively frees up time for imaginative thinking and the design process, serving as a significant advantage in adopting these tools.”

John Payne, ASLA, a partner at SiteWorks, a landscape architecture firm with 14 employees, has leveraged ChatGPT for crafting responses to RFPs. He states that team members can input an RFP into ChatGPT and utilize tailored prompts. “This typically produces around 20 percent of the necessary document, which necessitates substantial refinement, revising about 80 percent of the AI-generated text, fleshing out ideas, personalizing the content, and sharpening focus.”

While public discussions about AI in landscape architecture primarily highlight design iteration, an increasing number of firms are recognizing its potential to enhance operational efficiencies and overall business performance, which may soon hold equal or greater significance for their profitability.

“We are observing a transition from an initial experimental phase focusing mainly on generative AI, with many firms using commercial software, to integrating AI into everyday practice, especially within text-based workflows,” says Phil Fernberg, ASLA, an assistant research professor in landscape architecture and environmental planning at Utah State University, who has been studying AI’s impact on the profession for years.

Since AI appeared as a viable resource for design firms, its adoption has been on the rise. Findings from a recent, albeit limited, survey indicate that 43.4 percent of participants are using AI in their practices, while 56.6 percent have not yet adopted it. Conducted by Heather Braiden, an assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Montreal, the survey revealed that respondents frequently deploy AI during early design phases, including writing briefs (61 percent), concept design (51 percent), and RFP responses (43 percent). Notably, professionals working within multidisciplinary firms reported significantly higher AI utilization than those in dedicated landscape architecture firms.

AI’s growing presence is also influencing client relationships, with clients now expecting firms to provide quicker project quotes and improved efficiency through AI. This shift is prompting firms to scrutinize the effectiveness of specific AI applications. Many remain uncertain whether the benefits of implementing AI will surpass the associated costs. “A crucial misstep many in the profession are making with respect to AI is failing to conduct a thorough analysis of its relevance or lacking a plan to evaluate its impact,” warns Benjamin George, an associate professor of landscape architecture and environmental planning at Utah State University and chair of the ASLA AI Working Group.

“I’ve had numerous conversations where a firm leader asserts they are utilizing AI; when I ask about its impact, they respond, ‘We really don’t know or keep track of that.’ This is bewildering because one wouldn’t hire an employee without monitoring their productivity and the benefits derived from their work,” George states.

Additionally, the environmental implications of AI warrant careful consideration, particularly in landscape architecture, where sustainability is a fundamental value. “The narrative surrounding AI’s energy usage and emissions is rapidly evolving, largely influenced by major tech companies that often neglect to discuss the impact of data centers on communities,” notes Daniel Tal, FASLA, Digital Studio Manager at Confluence. “As an industry, we must ensure our voices are heard and that our perspectives are represented.”

Several design professionals have observed that AI is streamlining the process of managing RFPs and enhancing business development. John Payne estimates that AI saved him approximately an hour of work while organizing and augmenting a submission for a project involving operational and maintenance planning for a public initiative. He also highlights that using ChatGPT has stimulated his creative thinking, as it allows him to conserve energy for more innovative tasks.

At Henning Larsen, a multidisciplinary firm with 600 employees, including 120 landscape architects, AI tools are employed for document ingestion. “We utilize [Google Labs’ AI tool] NotebookLM or Perplexity to establish a project environment by uploading all client information,” says Jakob Strømann-Andersen, the firm’s director of innovation and sustainability. “Instead of manually searching for specific data—like the required width of a bicycle lane—we simply ask the software, ‘How wide should the bike lane be?’ and it provides us with the answer.”

He notes that while data derived from client briefs and RFPs is generally accurate, the AI tools also offer references for these data sources. Henning Larsen’s process includes a human reviewer to confirm the accuracy of the AI’s responses.

In one instance involving a university campus project for the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, the firm received 258 pages of German text containing 3.5 gigabytes of information from the client. By leveraging NotebookLM, they could upload this data, enabling team members to communicate in their preferred languages to locate necessary information. In cases where some designers preferred auditory formats, Strømann-Andersen notes that the team had the AI generate a half-hour podcast in an artificial voice to summarize project requirements, allowing the team member to bypass reading entirely.

For a recent landscape project in Singapore, which would have previously required two people dedicating two days to reviewing and translating the brief, NotebookLM enabled Henning Larsen to assign just one person to complete the task in an hour and a half.

Is the AI savvy enough to provide insights to a Henning Larsen team lead evaluating an RFP regarding project compensation and feasibility? “Not yet, but probably in six months,” Strømann-Andersen predicts, noting that their parent company, Ramboll Group, employs 30 AI specialists, including four at Henning Larsen.

Business development also heavily incorporates AI. “We have developed a prompt system to screen clients, allowing us to decline unsuitable projects due to geographic limitations, lack of references, or undesirable affiliations,” explains Strømann-Andersen. This system utilizes RamGPT, Ramboll Group’s internal AI framework.

An overarching ambition for AI is to systematically organize and retain knowledge within firms so that insights from seasoned professionals or specific projects can be readily applied to new endeavors.

At TBG, which employs more than 127 staff members, including 29 licensed landscape architects and 43 involved in operations related to landscape architecture, AI is being utilized to document and distribute this type of knowledge. “A primary focus of our AI initiatives has been officially recording institutional knowledge into playbooks, transitioning what once resided in individuals’ minds into structured, repeatable systems,” Odle shares.

At RDG Planning & Design, where Kene Okigbo, ASLA, serves as a partner, AI primarily aids in storyboarding, content creation, narrative building, and imagery. However, the firm is expanding its applications of AI into strategic planning. For a recent internal sustainability action plan, RDG began using AI to gather and collate data from various internal research, surveys, and other sources. “We are employing ChatGPT to input all of this data and pose questions like, ‘What trends emerge? How should we interpret this? What are some blind spots? What does the next five to ten years look like for us?’ to foster a dialogue with our staff. It serves as a test for how well AI can assist us in analyzation. If it doesn’t yield results, it won’t be adopted,” Okigbo states. [Okigbo is a member of LAM’s Editorial Advisory Committee.]

Clients are increasingly becoming adept at using AI and, as a result, are demanding a more efficient, AI-enhanced workflow from design firms. Strømann-Andersen recounts a recent experience in Toronto, where a client inquired about how they could utilize AI to enhance the project and its business case. “The client was aware of these tools and expected improved design outputs—like reduced costs, minimized resources, and accelerated timelines—understanding that certain aspects of the project could be streamlined using AI,” he states. Moving forward, the expectation will be that AI will be used to lower project hours and the number of team members allocated to tasks.

Okigbo agrees that client expectations concerning AI are exerting pressure on firms. “I am incredibly proud of how our firm’s leadership has approached this by not asserting that ‘AI will lessen project time.’ Instead, they emphasize, ‘While it may decrease the time spent on less enjoyable parts, it will allow us to concentrate more on details, design communication, and ensure the project meets its full potential.’” He acknowledges that articulating this sentiment to clients can be challenging, often leading to a reevaluation of the value proposition.

Clients now anticipate firms to proactively communicate their use of AI, often without prompting, as emphasized by Tal of Confluence. “There is backlash if this isn’t addressed,” he warns.

AI can also help users expedite the technical aspects of design. Francisca Martina Gil Sosa, a landscape designer and BIM manager at SiteWorks, utilizes AI, particularly ChatGPT, alongside Revit, Autodesk’s BIM software. Gil Sosa shares her experience, stating, “I frequently rely on ChatGPT, which is knowledgeable about BIM challenges, far more than I am. I can use it to double-check the technical work I’m doing in other applications. Instead of halting to analyze it myself, I can ask ChatGPT, ‘Can you confirm if this slope is correct?’ and provide a screenshot of the issue in the software or explain where my calculations have gone awry.”

At SiteWorks, Payne has also employed AI integrated within Deltek Specpoint’s AIA MasterSpec software for generating and managing specifications. (Payne serves as the chair of the MasterSpec committee for landscape architects, contributing to ongoing software development.)

“It proves extremely useful; if I encounter problems with the interface and something isn’t functioning correctly, I can pose the question to the AI, ‘How do I handle this?’” Payne explains. “Additionally, we frequently refer to standards like ASTM, which can be overwhelming due to their diversity. I can simply inquire, ‘What are the differences between ASTM 714 and 756?’ and—boom—it generates a response.”

In conclusion, the integration of AI in landscape architecture is reshaping how firms operate, interact with clients, and approach design challenges. As professionals embrace these tools, they are not only streamlining processes but are also enhancing creativity, efficiency, and overall project outcomes. Moving ahead, it will be vital for firms to remain agile in their adoption and use of AI, ensuring that they maximize its benefits while addressing the broader implications for teamwork, client relations, and the environment.