A conversation on what AI means for the future of architectural practice.
Architecture is being reshaped by AI faster than most firms can track. From early-stage design exploration to code compliance, construction coordination, and supply chain — tools that didn’t exist eighteen months ago are now in production at leading firms.
This event brings together the people building those tools and the architects putting them to work. Join us for a keynote on why AI matters for the profession, followed by a panel of founders building the next generation of AI products across the AEC industry.
Agenda
Keynote — Why AI matters for architecture A grounded look at where AI is genuinely changing the practice of architecture, where it isn’t, and how forward-looking firms should be thinking about adoption.
Speaker: Alex Lee is the founder and CEO of Kazka AI, and previously served as Head of AI Solutions at Cadre AI and as an AI Product Manager at Google. He helps organizations turn AI from a strategy-slide concept into practical workflows for real teams, bringing a human-centered lens shaped by his work as a product leader, solutions director, and parent.
Panel — Founders building AI for AEC A conversation with founders shipping AI products across the industry, covering code compliance, construction, supply, and design. We’ll get into what’s working, what’s hype, and where the real opportunities are for firms ready to engage.
Panelists:
Mike Brown is a personal injury attorney and former Hollywood visual effects artist who built CrossBeam, an AI tool that reads architectural drawings, checks them against state and city code, and flags permit issues before corrections letters. He built CrossBeam in six days, won Anthropic’s Global Claude Code Hackathon, and argues that the next wave of AI builders will be domain experts who deeply understand the problems they are solving.
Andrew Krippner is a mechanical engineer and co-founder/CEO of HVAKR, a Techstars-backed cloud HVAC design platform helping engineering teams move beyond fragmented desktop workflows. He leads product direction around practical AI for mechanical design, using agents to automate repetitive tasks, evaluate options, and speed up iteration while keeping calculations transparent.
Alex Holt is co-founder of ABEL, an AI agent platform built for MEP suppliers and supply-house teams. ABEL helps suppliers manage vendor data, read vendor quotes, update estimates, and coordinate project requests across workflows for industries like waterworks, plumbing, and electrical.
Who should attend
Principals, project architects, design technologists, and AEC leaders curious about, or already working with, AI. No technical background required.
Space is limited. Lunch provided.
Location: This event will be hosted approximately 15 minute walk from the San Diego Convention Center.
