Design Once. Learn Every Day — Reflections from PHIST 2026

At PHIST 2026 in Phuket, I explored how technology can help hospitality projects make better decisions before performance problems become expensive to solve.

The presentation looked at the relationship between digital design and real building performance, including BIM, solar and shadow analysis, daylight, energy, water, thermal performance, occupancy, passive design strategies, sensors, IoT, and AI.

The central idea was simple: use technology to create a continuous loop between design, measurement, learning, and improvement. This connects my work in AI + Sustainability with BIM and the everyday performance of hospitality buildings.

When does a hotel become expensive?

I grew up around hotels because my father owns one. That experience is a reminder that a hotel’s costs continue long after construction. Energy, water, maintenance, and the everyday work of keeping guests comfortable are part of the building’s life.

“When does a hotel become expensive?” asks us to look at those continuing costs alongside the decisions made during design.

Build it digitally before building it physically

BIM and computational design allow us to test decisions earlier. Solar and shadow studies, daylight, thermal performance, and passive design strategies help teams compare options while there is still time to change them.

The goal is to understand how a choice could affect the operating building, rather than treating the model as an end in itself.

Predict, measure, and learn

Once a hotel is operating, it provides actual data. Sensors show what is happening; IoT connects that information. AI can help identify patterns and anomalies that deserve closer investigation.

Those observations should be compared with the assumptions made during design. A prediction is useful, but measured performance helps us understand whether the building is working as expected and where a different response may be needed.

Close the loop between design and operation

Lessons from one operating building should improve future projects. Connecting design teams with operational evidence gives the next project a stronger starting point, and gives teams a way to revisit decisions with more context.

This is the same need for grounded information behind my work on Sustainability Review with AI.

Design once. Learn every day.

We design once, but we should learn every day. The opportunity is to keep learning from buildings after they open, and carry that knowledge into the next design.

Explore more sustainability insights or speaking topics.