Artificial Intelligence is transforming not only our daily lives but also the way we plan, design, and operate the buildings around us.
In the race towards a decarbonised building sector, AI is proving to be a powerful tool to accelerate the shift towards zero-emission buildings, helping architects and engineers make smarter, more sustainable decisions.
On 26 November 2025, the META BUILD and ZEBAI EU-funded projects came together in a joint webinar to showcase how AI-driven design meets electrification to create more efficient, reliable, and scalable buildings.
Introducing the META BUILD project, Nikos Dimitropoulos and Symeon Chorozoglou from the National Technical University of Athens explained how AI can support electrification and system integration from the very early stages of building design.
Marian Ángeles Gallego de Santiago from the Spanish research centre CARTIF demonstrated how AI and machine learning can enhance reliability and reduce downtime, focusing on key components such as heat pumps, photovoltaic-thermal systems, and battery storage.
The project already has six demonstration sites across Europe, including multi-family buildings and office facilities in Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
The webinar then turned to the ZEBAI project, which uses AI to optimise building design in terms of energy performance, cost, indoor environmental quality, and environmental impact.
Antonio la Torre de la Fuente from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid introduced the project, followed by Lorena Cruz, who presented the ZEBAI tool that allows designers to model buildings, specify active and passive elements, simulate performance, and automatically generate optimised solutions.
Martjan den Hoed from Gortemaker Algra Feenstra Architects showcased ZEBAI’s demonstration work and explored the tool’s potential for scalability across different climates and building types.
He also showed how AI-driven modelling has supported the design of new hospital facilities, including ongoing work in Tilburg in the Netherlands.
The session concluded with a panel discussion on modelling and AI for the industrial sector and circular buildings, featuring contributions from Lucia Royo (Electroingenium), Dimitris Chatzigiannis (Heron Energy S.A.) and Benjamin Constant (NéoEco).
Throughout the webinar, the discussions emphasised the complementary strengths of META BUILD and ZEBAI, showing how AI, digitalisation, and electrification can come together to create smarter, cleaner, and more resilient buildings.
