A London start-up whose browser-based AI tool turns sketches, drawings and text into realistic architectural visualisations.
Gendo is a London start-up that makes artificial intelligence software for architects. Its tool turns a 2D drawing, a sketch or a text description into a realistic image of a building, and then lets people edit details such as colour, lighting and furniture. It runs in a web browser. The idea is to fill the gap between very basic image tools and slow, expensive rendering software, so that architects can test and show ideas much faster. Reports say early users included Zaha Hadid Architects, KPF, David Chipperfield Architects and Benoy.
The company was founded in 2022 by George Proud, a British architectural designer and visualiser who is chief executive, and Will Jones, a software engineer. Proud has said the company believes in bespoke generative AI tools designed for specific use cases rather than general ones. Another report quotes the aim as putting Gendo at the heart of how all visualisations are created. Patrik Schumacher of Zaha Hadid Architects is named as an adviser and board member, and has called the tool a step-change for the discipline.
TheNextWeb and UKTech News describe Gendo as London-based, and UKTech News said in 2024 that it employed five people, which was an early-stage figure and has probably changed. A Built In London company page also lists it. One report counted 3,600 users around the world since leaving beta in July 2024, so its customers are global even though its team is in London. We have not found a street address.
On culture, little is published. The founder interview on UKTech News was behind a paywall, and the visible part only mentions the value of having a co-founder and an interest in augmented and virtual reality for construction. We have therefore not described the working culture. What is clear is that it pairs a person who knows architecture with a software engineer, which is a common and useful mix in design technology.
Roles in a start-up like this include software and machine learning engineers, designers who understand architecture and visualisation, product and customer support people who talk to architects, and marketing and sales staff. If you enjoy art, architecture and computing, it shows that you do not have to choose one: your knowledge of buildings can be a real advantage in a technology company. For up-to-date information, check the company's website.
Website: thenextweb.com/news/ai-startup-gendo-midjourney-architecture-funding
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