Meta-interaction: Deployable framework integrating the metaverse and generative AI for participatory building design

Much has been exhorted to pursue participatory building design (PBD) but little has been done to enhance it owing to difficulties such as participant inclusion and clarity of expression. An opportunity is enabled by metaverse and generative AI technologies. This paper aims to explore this by developing a framework that integrates metaverse and generative AI. To start, a desktop study is conducted to examine the challenges related to PBD. Based on this, a PBD framework called Meta-interaction was developed. It incorporates metaverse in enabling users to participate in the immersive design process, and generative AI for automated user requirement extraction, design feature option generation, and visualization. Finally, the prototype was implemented in five pilot cases. Results show that the framework is applicable and highly valued by most designers and end-users. This study enriches the applications of metaverse and generative AI in building design and offers insights for future PBD initiatives.