Courses Architectural Design Symbiotic Design: AI-Driven Fluid Modeling in Maya

Symbiotic Design: AI-Driven Fluid Modeling in Maya

Name: Symbiotic Design: AI-Driven Fluid Modeling in Maya
Price: 85.00 EUR
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

This workshop explores how AI and 3D modeling in Maya work together to design, render, and animate fluid architectural designs.

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Overview
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Date:

Jul 5, 6, 2025

Duration:

8 Hours

Difficulty:

Beginner

Language:

English

Certificate:

Yes

Registration:

€85.00

Tutor:

Chhavi Mehta

Members:

72.25 EUR (27.75%) discount

Recordings:

Available Indefinitely

Gift Course

Introduction of the workshop:

Symbiotic Workflow is an intensive weekend workshop that explores the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and 3D modeling in architectural design. Tailored for architects and designers, this course introduces a seamless workflow where AI and manual fluid modeling work in harmony, enhancing, not replacing, one another.

This hands-on workshop takes participants through a complete visual process from concept to model to motion, using Maya for modelling fluid architectural typologies, Midjourney for AI-driven ideation and rendering, and Runway for cinematic animation.

This workshop will explore how AI is reshaping architectural workflows from early design exploration to visual storytelling, and how leading design practices use these tools to elevate their design process.

By the end of this workshop, each participant will produce a short video showcasing a fluid 3D design conceived in Maya, evolved with AI, and brought to life through animation, using this unique AI + 3D workflow.

What You’ll Learn?

Use AI as a tool for design ideation and form exploration

Modelling of 3D forms using Autodesk Maya

Create atmospheric visuals and animations using Runway

Rendering in Midjourney

Produce a cinematic video of your architectural design

Understand how AI is being integrated into real-world architectural workflows

Symbiotic Design: AI-Driven Fluid Modeling in Maya

Methodology:

This workshop explores the design, modelling, and visualisation of fluid, sculptural architectural forms through a hybrid process that blends artificial intelligence with manual 3D modeling. The focus is on experimental, expressive outcomes that move beyond traditional architectural approaches. Participants will not only learn how to model in Autodesk Maya from scratch but also explore how AI can act as a design collaborator, making their workflows faster, more efficient, and more imaginative.

This workshop will begin in Autodesk Maya with guided live demonstrations and a series of 3d modeling exercises that gradually increase in complexity. These sessions are focused on helping participants develop confidence in creating fluid architectural forms.

Participants will be introduced to Midjourney, starting with the basics of how the platform works. They will then use it as a collaborative tool, generating a range of variations based on their 3D models. These AI-generated visuals will serve as inspiration to refine and evolve their designs in Maya.

Once the models are finalized, participants will return to Midjourney to render their designs. The final stage of the workshop brings these rendered outputs into Runway, where participants will learn how to create cinematic video animations that bring their architectural visions to life.

What You’ll Use?

Autodesk Maya

Midjourney

Runway ML

Highlights:

Content

Introduction (10:10)

Introduction + PAACADEMY Updates

Symbiotic AI Workflow Intro (20:17)

Integrating AI Tools for Design

This session introduces a symbiotic AI workflow by integrating Maya, Midjourney, and Runway for fluid architectural design, focusing on intuitive modeling and prototyping.

Tower Modeling in Maya (35:05)

Sculpting Pleated Tower with Maya

This session goes through a complete step-by-step polygonal modeling process in Maya, from creating a low-poly cylinder to sculpting a refined, pleated tower, focusing on face and edge manipulation, bridging, creasing, scaling, and preparing geometry for export.

Maya Geometry Refinement (54:44)

Tower Refinement & Camera Setup

This session focused on refining the tower geometry in Maya, adjusting proportions, exploring camera perspectives, and setting up visual references to guide the upcoming AI-based image-making process.

Camera Framing & Export (32:58)

Geometry Framing & Image Export

This session covered setting up camera angles, framing the tower geometry, and exporting still images for further visual exploration.

Frame adjustment for Animation (34:17)

Sequential Shots for Visual Motion

This session focused on adjusting the model’s position, fine-tuning camera angles, and exporting a series of still frames to explore motion and visual rhythm.

Frame Sequence Exports (28:30)

Image Series for Simulated Motion

This session continued exporting multiple frames with subtle camera shifts to simulate movement, creating a sequence of images for later animation use.

Camera Path Refinement Session (45:43)

Rhythm Across Frame Sequence

This session focused on reviewing the image sequence within Maya, refining camera positions, and evaluating the visual rhythm to ensure smoother transitions between frames.

Testing Visual Rhythm Variations (24:42)

Frame Timing & Rhythm Tests

This session explored variations in frame spacing and sequence pacing to test how different visual rhythms impact the perception of the geometry.

Maya Modeling Workflow (38:12)

Evaluating Frame Sets for Animation

This session involved reviewing all exported frame sets, comparing subtle differences in timing and spacing, and selecting the most effective sequence to be used for animation.

Frame Export Setup (40:55)

Organizing & Exporting Final Frames

This session focused on organizing the final set of frames, checking for consistency across the sequence, and exporting them at the required resolution and format for external animation tools.

Midjourney Image Prompting (49:54)

Maya Frames as Prompt Inputs

This session used the exported frames as image prompts in Midjourney to explore potential render styles or post-processing aesthetics, experimenting with how the AI interpreted the original geometry and composition.

Runway Animation (37:46)

Animating Geometry Sequence in Runway

This session introduced Runway by importing the final image sequence, adjusting project settings, and testing motion brush directions to generate animated movement across architectural elements.

Screenshots:

Instructors:

Chhavi Mehta

Biography

Chhavi Mehta is an architect and designer practicing between the UK and India, focusing on experimental design at the intersection of architecture, art, and emerging technologies. She holds a Master’s in Architecture and Urbanism from the AADRL at the Architectural Association, where she was part of the Cyber-Urban Incubator led by Patrik Schumacher.She has over six years of professional experience in London, including her time at Zaha Hadid Architects, where she worked on international projects across architecture, interiors, product design, and the metaverse. Her design language is rooted in fluid, sculptural forms, developed through complex parametric modeling, with Autodesk Maya as her primary tool. Chhavi also holds a Master’s in Advanced Architectural Design from Oxford Brookes University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Bath. With over three years of teaching experience, she conducts workshops and talks on AI in architecture, fluid 3D modeling, and digital fabrication, focusing on how emerging technologies are reshaping workflows and pushing design beyond the limits of conventional architecture across both physical and digital environments.