AI in Architecture and Interior Design with Antonio Quesada

Featuring Antonio Quesada, Managing Director of Morpheus & Co., in conversation with Stephen Drew. Approximate listening time: 38 minutes.

Recorded as a live session, this episode looks at how artificial intelligence is starting to shape architecture and interior design, told through the working practice of a London studio delivering branded residences and hotels. Antonio Quesada shares how Morpheus & Co. uses AI as a concept tool, where a human still has to lead, and what all of this means for designers building a career.

Who this is for

Architects, Part 1 and Part 2 architectural assistants, interior designers and design students who want a grounded view of how AI fits into a real studio workflow, and anyone weighing up how emerging tools change the day to day of design practice.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Explain how an interior design studio uses AI image tools to develop early concepts for branded residences and hospitality projects.
2. Describe the difference between AI generated inspiration and a specified, buildable design.
3. Identify back of house tasks, such as drafting and research, where AI can save time.
4. Discuss why human curation and editorial judgement remain central to design quality.
5. Apply practical lessons on presenting yourself, your CV and your portfolio when approaching studios.
6. Recognise how flexible working and branded residences are reshaping how and where people live.

AI as a tool, not a replacement

Antonio frames AI the way the profession once framed the shift from hand drawing to CAD: a new tool that felt awkward at first and then became normal. The studio treats AI as an assistant for early thinking rather than a substitute for the designer, with a person always analysing and shaping the output.

From dream to design: the Morpheus process

Every project starts with what the studio calls a 'Dream Translation', capturing the spirit of the brief, the client's brand, the end user and the local context. Antonio describes design as chiselling a sculpture from a block of marble: the brief, demographics, budget and surroundings all guide the work, and the designer's job is to research and apply judgement.

Using AI on a live branded residence pitch

The studio was approached to develop a branded real estate concept for the Middle East. AI was used to gather and synthesise references, then to generate concept images of an equestrian, family led lifestyle scheme. The team fed in their own curated images and text prompts, and a designer then interpreted and refined the result. The point that lands with clients is immediacy: they can see and react to a direction quickly.

Where the concept meets reality

A generated image is inspiration, not a specification. Antonio notes that clients quickly ask where to buy the table, what the cushions are made of, and whether fabrics meet fire and durability standards for hospitality use. The real work is taking a compelling concept and turning it into specified, compliant, buildable detail.

AI in the back of house

Beyond imagery, Antonio uses AI to speed up routine tasks, for example drafting a first version of a press release from his own notes and key points, which the team then curates. He sees the biggest gains in administrative and editorial work, freeing designers to spend more time on design itself.

How the way we live and work is changing

Antonio is energised by branded residences and serviced apartments, and by giga projects in the Middle East built around the idea that daily needs sit within a short walk and wider amenities a short transit ride away. He also points to how living patterns have shifted, with more remote and international teams and a growing appetite for outdoor space and flexible use of homes.

Studio culture and how the team works

Morpheus & Co. invests in a physical materials library and shared studio space, because handling materials and meeting in person matters to both designers and clients. Antonio aims to plan projects so overtime is the exception, on the view that consistent overtime signals poor management, and wants the team to keep time for families, hobbies and life outside work.

Career advice: applications, CVs and portfolios

Antonio's practical guidance for anyone approaching a studio: personalise your application and address it to a real person you have researched on LinkedIn or the studio website. Treat attention to detail as a signal of how you will work, since typos and unfinished sentences undermine an otherwise strong submission. Your portfolio is only as good as its weakest image, so curate ruthlessly. Be proud of all your experience, including work outside design, which can show that you are hands on and reliable.

Breaking into the UK market

For those without local experience, Antonio recommends internships and work experience to learn how different studios operate, targeting practices whose sectors match your ambitions, and visiting open days. He notes that visible passion and direct, well researched outreach are what get noticed, and that Morpheus & Co. has hired through exactly this kind of approach.

Key terms

• Branded residences: homes developed in partnership with a major brand, from hotel operators to fashion and automotive names, pairing a lifestyle identity with residential design.
• Dream Translation: Morpheus & Co.'s opening process for turning a brief, brand and context into tangible design references.
• FF&E: furniture, fixtures and equipment, the specified items that fit out an interior.
• Generative AI: tools that produce images or text from prompts and reference material, used here for concept exploration.
• Giga project: very large, master planned development, often organised around walkable neighbourhoods and connected hubs.

Reflective prompts for your CPD record

1. Where in your own workflow could AI take on research or drafting, and what would you keep firmly under human control?
2. How would you move an AI generated concept towards a specified, compliant design on a live project?
3. What one change to your CV, portfolio or outreach would most improve how a studio receives your application?

About the guest

Antonio Quesada is an architect and interior design leader who served as Managing Director of Morpheus & Co., a London studio specialising in branded residences, prime residential and hotels. Originally from Seville, he studied architecture in Spain with a focus on sustainability and construction, moved to the UK in 2013, and previously led the architectural department at Kelly Hoppen Interiors.

Listen to the full conversation on Spotify, or explore more on the Architecture Social.